Please Help Isabella Beat Lymphoma

Hi, my name is Tanya, and I have set up this fundraiser on behalf of my sister-in-law, Brandy McFarland. Brandy is an incredibly hard-working single mother of two severely autistic children, Isabella and Sawyer. She will need to take a lot of time off of work in the coming days to be by Isabella's side as she fights B-cell lymphoma. The loss of income and the expense of traveling back and forth to treatment in Morgantown will impact this family tremendously. We need your help raising funds to help her afford to take time to be with Izie during the most important time of her life.

About Isabella:

Isabella is a true light-bringer. She is a beautiful 16-year-old with an amazing soul. She loves video games, art, and caring for and playing with her animals. She is also a fighter! She was diagnosed at age 3 with severe autism. For many years, Brandy and Izie's grandparents, Kathy and Dale McFarland, believed Isabella would never talk or be able to go to public school due to the severity of her autism. She surprised everyone! She started speaking small phrases and worked extremely hard in occupational therapy to be able to go to public school with her peers. At school, she is loved by all who meet her; her personality is always positive and upbeat, and she never gives up! She loves animals, people, and interacting with the world with her own unique perspective. She is a fantastic artist and always finds new ways to leave a creative mark on her surroundings. She is a loving and attentive big sister to her brother, Sawyer. If anyone can overcome cancer, it's Isabella.

Izie's Journey so far:

Isabella has been struggling for the past year with severe pain in her knee. Brandy immediately sought medical help for the pain. As we are all familiar, nothing happens quickly with medical care, so after several doctor visits and Brandy's unrelenting insistence, Izie was finally given the opportunity to receive an x-ray and MRI of her leg on March 17th, 2023. Due to the nature of her autism, these procedures required her to be sedated, resulting in days of recovery from testing alone. When the first MRI was finished, the doctors immediately called for a second, then a third. There was something wrong. While Brandy anxiously waited for her daughter to be finished, the hours seemed to drag on forever. Her fears were realized when the doctor called her before Izie was even brought to the recovery room to let her know that there were "multiple concerning tumors along her femur." He said they would send them to a specialist and forward the imaging for his review. Brandy's world was shattered. This is the worst news a parent can ever receive. Isabella has been through so much already in her short life, and now a cancer diagnosis? Why?

The Fight Begins:

Isabella and Brandy met with the specialist the following week. At first, he explained that it looked like Isabella had what is called Osteosarcoma and was quite concerned with how many tumors were present in her imaging. He immediately ordered bloodwork and a biopsy to get a more complete picture and plan for her treatment.

On Monday, April 3rd, Izie was again sedated as the bloodwork and biopsy of the largest tumor near her knee were completed. The doctors told Brandy that it would be about 10 days before the results came back, and Brandy was again forced to endure an excruciating wait for answers.

On Thursday, April 6th, a cancer specialist called unexpectedly to explain that the results from Izie's biopsy and bloodwork had come back. He stated that Isabella has B-cell Lymphoma but explained that he is confident that, with treatment, she will achieve remission. He did express that it was rare to find this type of cancer in the long bones of the leg and is especially rare in someone so young. Brandy and Isabella will go back to the hospital in Morgantown next week so that Izie can get a full diagnostic scan to determine the extent and stage of the cancer. Because Izie has to be sedated for so long, the doctor has asked them to arrive a day in advance of her scans to begin preparing her body. She will have a PET Scan (to detect small deposits that might not be visible using other imaging), a lumbar puncture (to check and see if it has spread to her spinal fluid), and a bone biopsy and will be required to stay at the hospital until the results come back. After they determine how advanced the cancer is, Izie will immediately have to endure aggressive chemotherapy. This hospital visit will last anywhere from 5 days to several weeks, depending on the results of these tests. Additionally, her femur has deteriorated to such an extent that the specialist wants her to avoid putting ANY pressure on it for fear that it could snap. This means that in addition to the horrific cancer treatment Isabella will have to go through, she will also require a femur replacement surgery and intensive physical therapy to learn to walk again.

After the cancer specialist receives the results, he and Brandy will come up with a plan of action. Those details and updates will be shared here immediately so you can be kept up to date on the progress.

The despair at this news is palpable. Isabella is already exhausted from the testing she has gone through thus far, and the journey is only just beginning. Please pray for her strength to keep fighting!

What is it? How is it treated?

Lymphomas are blood cancers that begin in the cells of the lymph nodes. B-cell lymphomas affect B cells (a type of white blood cell). As of April 6th, we still do not know whether Izie's lymphoma is Hodgkin's or non-Hodgkin's, the grade (rate of growth), or the stage. It is typically treated using a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and stem-cell transplants, although immunotherapy has also started showing promise in the treatment of lymphomas. Treatment plans are variable depending on the presentation of each individual's case.

What you can do:

Isabella, Brandy, Sawyer, Dale, and Kathy could all use your positivity and prayers during this difficult and uncertain time. If you can, please donate. Any small amount will be a blessing to this family as they navigate this heartbreaking journey. Please consider sharing this fundraiser with those you know or on social media.

With your contribution, Brandy will be able to afford to take time away from work to give all of her attention and care to Izie as they battle this horrific disease. Mothers should never have to feel guilty or worry about their family's future so that they can care for their sick baby. Additionally, your support will help offset the costs of commuting to and from treatment and lodging expenses as treatment progresses.

On behalf of Brandy, Isabella, and our family, thank you for taking the time to help our sweet girl.

With gratitude,

Tanya Altman