Hope for TJ!
Donation protected
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to visit! I am Natalie Snow and I live in Katy, TX. I created this campaign to help raise funds for my 10 year old cousin TJ Reilly, who was just diagnosed with a rare and inoperable type of brain tumor called Gliomatosis Cerebri. TJ lives in Pennsylvania with his mom and dad (my Aunt Krissy & Uncle Todd) and his 4 brothers & sisters. He is one spunky, tender-hearted, fun-spirited kiddo and he needs our prayers for a miracle!
I've never heard of this. What IS this thing??
Gliomatosis Cerebri is a rare brain cancer that is highly aggressive and very resistant to treatment. These malignancies are not lumps like other tumors, but cancerous threads that spread very quickly and infiltrate deep into the surrounding brain tissue, or into multiple parts of the brain simultaneously, making them very difficult to remove with surgery or treat with radiation & chemotheraphy. GC is extremely rare, with fewer than 100 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. There is very little known about this type of brain tumor, or what causes it, but what we DO know is that from what research has shown so far, there's no effective cure. Chemo & radiation work about 5% of the time and surgery is off the table, unless it's for symptom management. You can click on any of the links below to read more.
Boston Children's Hospital
Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center
St. Jude Children's Hospital
Ok, so HOW can we help?
TJ is in the good hands of some top doctors at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). Over the coming months, my Aunt Krissy and Uncle Todd will be taking TJ to numerous doctor's appointments. There will be regular visits with neuro-opthamologists, neuro-oncologists, and countless other doctors I'm sure, to monitor TJ's condition. Because each case of GC is unique, we have no way of knowing how quickly or slowly this disease will progress. Though we hold on to all hope for a complete miracle, of course! All donations made through this page will go directly to my Aunt Krissy & Uncle Todd. (Note: because we are expecting a mircale, any unused funds will be donated to a charity of their choosing - most likely St. Jude's or the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to further research and help other sick children!) My hope is that through this campaign, we can help off-load any financial pressures they may face. Our donations can go further than just helping with medical bills though. Since modern medicine (ie: chemo) is ineffective, they are looking to alternative meds such as essential oils and these costs add up. But our donations can even help with gas to/from the hospital, parking, meals, groceries (hello organic health foods), and maybe even just a little bit of extra money to take TJ somewhere he's always wanted to go...as I am sure doing anything "extra" right now with 4 kids feels darn near impossible.
Our family thanks you in advance from the bottom of our hearts and truthfully from the pit of our stomachs. We are all still so shocked by this news and feel utterly helpless right now. So we also covet your prayers for TJ. For his complete healing, in fact. We ask for prayers for peace & discernment for Krissy and Todd as they make treatment/care decisions for their sweet son. We ask for prayers for his brothers & sisters - Caitlin, Rachel, Susiy and Rocco - for a peace that passes understanding. And we ask for these prayers because we know that our God is bigger than any medical diagnosis and that …"if two of you agree on earth about anything they may ask and it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." ~ Matthew 18:19-20
To read more about TJ's story you can sign up (it's free) to follow him on his CaringBridge site. "Our journey started out with a somewhat routine visit to the optometrist, Dr. Wen at LensCrafters. I praise God for her & her skill to pick up on the swelling of TJ's optic nerves. She made it clear that this needed to be assessed further, & right away..." Click here: TJ's CaringBridge
God bless you.
We are ever so grateful!
I've never heard of this. What IS this thing??Gliomatosis Cerebri is a rare brain cancer that is highly aggressive and very resistant to treatment. These malignancies are not lumps like other tumors, but cancerous threads that spread very quickly and infiltrate deep into the surrounding brain tissue, or into multiple parts of the brain simultaneously, making them very difficult to remove with surgery or treat with radiation & chemotheraphy. GC is extremely rare, with fewer than 100 cases diagnosed in the United States each year. There is very little known about this type of brain tumor, or what causes it, but what we DO know is that from what research has shown so far, there's no effective cure. Chemo & radiation work about 5% of the time and surgery is off the table, unless it's for symptom management. You can click on any of the links below to read more.
Boston Children's Hospital
Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center
St. Jude Children's Hospital
Ok, so HOW can we help?
TJ is in the good hands of some top doctors at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). Over the coming months, my Aunt Krissy and Uncle Todd will be taking TJ to numerous doctor's appointments. There will be regular visits with neuro-opthamologists, neuro-oncologists, and countless other doctors I'm sure, to monitor TJ's condition. Because each case of GC is unique, we have no way of knowing how quickly or slowly this disease will progress. Though we hold on to all hope for a complete miracle, of course! All donations made through this page will go directly to my Aunt Krissy & Uncle Todd. (Note: because we are expecting a mircale, any unused funds will be donated to a charity of their choosing - most likely St. Jude's or the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to further research and help other sick children!) My hope is that through this campaign, we can help off-load any financial pressures they may face. Our donations can go further than just helping with medical bills though. Since modern medicine (ie: chemo) is ineffective, they are looking to alternative meds such as essential oils and these costs add up. But our donations can even help with gas to/from the hospital, parking, meals, groceries (hello organic health foods), and maybe even just a little bit of extra money to take TJ somewhere he's always wanted to go...as I am sure doing anything "extra" right now with 4 kids feels darn near impossible.
Our family thanks you in advance from the bottom of our hearts and truthfully from the pit of our stomachs. We are all still so shocked by this news and feel utterly helpless right now. So we also covet your prayers for TJ. For his complete healing, in fact. We ask for prayers for peace & discernment for Krissy and Todd as they make treatment/care decisions for their sweet son. We ask for prayers for his brothers & sisters - Caitlin, Rachel, Susiy and Rocco - for a peace that passes understanding. And we ask for these prayers because we know that our God is bigger than any medical diagnosis and that …"if two of you agree on earth about anything they may ask and it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." ~ Matthew 18:19-20
To read more about TJ's story you can sign up (it's free) to follow him on his CaringBridge site. "Our journey started out with a somewhat routine visit to the optometrist, Dr. Wen at LensCrafters. I praise God for her & her skill to pick up on the swelling of TJ's optic nerves. She made it clear that this needed to be assessed further, & right away..." Click here: TJ's CaringBridge
God bless you.
We are ever so grateful!
Organizer
Natalie Snow
Organizer
Northampton Township, PA