Brenley Farner's Journey
Donation protected
My name is Brenley J Farner, this is my Journey. November 14th, 2016...7 months to the day that I received my first diagnosis (Type 1 Diabetes), and just 7 days after celebrating my 3rd Birthday...I am back in the same place to receive yet another life changing diagnosis...a coconut size Tumor growing off of my left kidney taking up half of my abdomen. As my doctors and surgeons contemplated the safest, most effective approach to start my fight against cancer, they chose surgery. The next day, I underwent a 7 hour surgery to remove the tumor along with my left kidney, adrenal gland and lymph nodes. My doctors were sure they knew the type of tumor that had rapidly grown inside my little body was that of a Wilms Tumor, rare but the most common kidney cancer in children my age. Although we were prepared to fight back against this cancer, we could not move forward without confirmation. After one week of trying to process the diagnosis we thought we were going to receive...the pathology came back to be anything but what we had expected or heard of. The diagnosis was a Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor of the Kidney. An extremely rare and aggressive cancer, with only 20-25 new cases each year in the United States. I spent 11 days in the hospital recovering from major surgery and consulting with my oncologist on understanding what is soon to be the most crucial fight of my life. I was discharged, and sent home Thanksgiving afternoon to spend what will be my last normal week at home for quite some time.
On December 1st I will start my new journey, 30 weeks of intense chemotherapy and 17 straight days of radiation. Although I may be little, I am so very strong. My Diabetes is part of who I am, and always will be, but my cancer will not! There is not much research on Rhabdoid tumors due to it's rarity, which is unacceptable for those who are faced with this diagnosis. My goal is to raise money for my medical expenses and awareness to help not only the journey I am currently facing, but any others facing a journey similar to mine. The love and support my family and I have received is almost as overwhelming as my diagnosis itself. We will forever be so grateful for all the love and prayers. Please continue to pray for my family and I as we begin our battle to beat this ugly disease. I WILL come out swinging! Hey Cancer, you picked the wrong little lady...LETS DO THIS!
How the Funds will be used:
Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor. 3 days after receiving my diagnosis, my family and I learned the rarity of this cancer. As my social worker came into my hospital room to introduce herself, she hands my parents a stack of overwhelming information regarding the clinic which will soon become my 2nd home. Along with these papers, she hands us a Childhood Cancer book containing over 300 pages. As my parents open the index, they frantically search...Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor (pg. 98). When they turned to page 98, they were in disbelief, a 1/4 page paragraph. 1 paragraph, how could this be?
Minutes after starting our tour of the clinic where I will receive my treatments, my parents and I were introduced to two nurses who regularly work in the clinic. "This is the Farner Family, their daughter is the one we will be treating with the Rhabdoid Tumor, very rare- only 20-25 cases per year throughout the country." As this continued to come out of our social workers mouth, my parents were in shock, and naturally, a range of thoughts race through their minds.
Although we do believe with all our hearts my team of doctors are the best in the world to treat me, it is unacceptable for any family to have to go into any diagnoses without more information and research. Due to its rarity, and the limited number of families and communities affected by this cancer- there is not enough funds raised to support its research. Anyone with this diagnosis deserves top-notch research actively being performed by the greatest institutions in the world.
Funds raised will be put towards medical expenses I may accrue along my journey fighting this cancer. A large portion of funds will also be put towards building a foundation that will support research and most importantly- raise awareness!
On December 1st I will start my new journey, 30 weeks of intense chemotherapy and 17 straight days of radiation. Although I may be little, I am so very strong. My Diabetes is part of who I am, and always will be, but my cancer will not! There is not much research on Rhabdoid tumors due to it's rarity, which is unacceptable for those who are faced with this diagnosis. My goal is to raise money for my medical expenses and awareness to help not only the journey I am currently facing, but any others facing a journey similar to mine. The love and support my family and I have received is almost as overwhelming as my diagnosis itself. We will forever be so grateful for all the love and prayers. Please continue to pray for my family and I as we begin our battle to beat this ugly disease. I WILL come out swinging! Hey Cancer, you picked the wrong little lady...LETS DO THIS!
How the Funds will be used:
Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor. 3 days after receiving my diagnosis, my family and I learned the rarity of this cancer. As my social worker came into my hospital room to introduce herself, she hands my parents a stack of overwhelming information regarding the clinic which will soon become my 2nd home. Along with these papers, she hands us a Childhood Cancer book containing over 300 pages. As my parents open the index, they frantically search...Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor (pg. 98). When they turned to page 98, they were in disbelief, a 1/4 page paragraph. 1 paragraph, how could this be?
Minutes after starting our tour of the clinic where I will receive my treatments, my parents and I were introduced to two nurses who regularly work in the clinic. "This is the Farner Family, their daughter is the one we will be treating with the Rhabdoid Tumor, very rare- only 20-25 cases per year throughout the country." As this continued to come out of our social workers mouth, my parents were in shock, and naturally, a range of thoughts race through their minds.
Although we do believe with all our hearts my team of doctors are the best in the world to treat me, it is unacceptable for any family to have to go into any diagnoses without more information and research. Due to its rarity, and the limited number of families and communities affected by this cancer- there is not enough funds raised to support its research. Anyone with this diagnosis deserves top-notch research actively being performed by the greatest institutions in the world.
Funds raised will be put towards medical expenses I may accrue along my journey fighting this cancer. A large portion of funds will also be put towards building a foundation that will support research and most importantly- raise awareness!
Organizer
Brenley Farner
Organizer
Monongahela, PA