Dev & Amber Fund
Donation protected
Update: Brain Surgery for Devan this month!
God Bless this family- lets all do our part to make sure that Devan gets world class care and has the best possible chance at making a full recovery through this battle he is fighting. The tumor is called a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma commonly referred DIPG. DIPG affects the pons portion of the brainstem, rendering nervous system function impossible. Symptoms include double vision, inability to close the eyelids completely, dropping one side of the face, and difficulty chewing and swallowing. Unfortunately these symptoms usually worsen rapidly because the tumor is rapidly growing.
DIPG, for all its difficulties, presents an opportunity for all forms of cancer. It is one of the most resistant of all cancers to chemotherapy treatments; it affects primarily children (whose treatment has historically led to innovations in many other forms of cancer), and with a "dismal" prognosis, alternatives are few. Put together, these obstacles offer researchers a chance to revolutionize cancer research and prevention. It is even suggested that a cure to DIPG might result in a cure for almost every other type of cancer. For this reason, the cure starts now.
Childhood cancer is a battle that should never be faught alone. They say it takes a village to raise a child- can I call you to be that village for Devan, Amber and Antonio?
A recent and inspirational post from Amber just a few days ago, reminding us all of how sweet and fragile life is: "As I got ready for work this morning I watched Devan clumsily slide out of bed and crawl to the bathroom. He was hardly awake at this point and not yet ready to walk. Once there, he stood up for all of a split second and fell to the floor. I reached down to help him up again and support his little body as he used the bathroom. He then asked that I carry him over to the bed and before I could sit him down on the mattress he expressed to me in a frustrated tone that "no, I do it myself." So I helped him stand and as he regained his balance he attempted just that banging his legs up over and over again as he tried multiple times until he was finally able to muster up the strength to pull himself onto the bed. He then sat on the bed beside "Cheerios" to play on his iPad and as I continued to put on my flight suit he turned his gaze at me to give me that cute lil' crooked smile. Our lives have been changed so much and in moments like these I find inspiration. And he is just that. My inspiration. He's walking now, although wobbly and much off balance, but he's determined and will have it no other way. Sometimes the smallest of people show you what true strength and courage is all about. So when you feel like you keep running into walls, think of Devan and just keep moving."
God Bless this family- lets all do our part to make sure that Devan gets world class care and has the best possible chance at making a full recovery through this battle he is fighting. The tumor is called a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma commonly referred DIPG. DIPG affects the pons portion of the brainstem, rendering nervous system function impossible. Symptoms include double vision, inability to close the eyelids completely, dropping one side of the face, and difficulty chewing and swallowing. Unfortunately these symptoms usually worsen rapidly because the tumor is rapidly growing.
DIPG, for all its difficulties, presents an opportunity for all forms of cancer. It is one of the most resistant of all cancers to chemotherapy treatments; it affects primarily children (whose treatment has historically led to innovations in many other forms of cancer), and with a "dismal" prognosis, alternatives are few. Put together, these obstacles offer researchers a chance to revolutionize cancer research and prevention. It is even suggested that a cure to DIPG might result in a cure for almost every other type of cancer. For this reason, the cure starts now.
Childhood cancer is a battle that should never be faught alone. They say it takes a village to raise a child- can I call you to be that village for Devan, Amber and Antonio?
A recent and inspirational post from Amber just a few days ago, reminding us all of how sweet and fragile life is: "As I got ready for work this morning I watched Devan clumsily slide out of bed and crawl to the bathroom. He was hardly awake at this point and not yet ready to walk. Once there, he stood up for all of a split second and fell to the floor. I reached down to help him up again and support his little body as he used the bathroom. He then asked that I carry him over to the bed and before I could sit him down on the mattress he expressed to me in a frustrated tone that "no, I do it myself." So I helped him stand and as he regained his balance he attempted just that banging his legs up over and over again as he tried multiple times until he was finally able to muster up the strength to pull himself onto the bed. He then sat on the bed beside "Cheerios" to play on his iPad and as I continued to put on my flight suit he turned his gaze at me to give me that cute lil' crooked smile. Our lives have been changed so much and in moments like these I find inspiration. And he is just that. My inspiration. He's walking now, although wobbly and much off balance, but he's determined and will have it no other way. Sometimes the smallest of people show you what true strength and courage is all about. So when you feel like you keep running into walls, think of Devan and just keep moving."
Organizer
Natalie Ferreira
Organizer
San Diego, CA