Daenerys' Fight Against Cancer

For those of you who do not know Daenerys; think of who she is named after. Yes, that Daenerys, "Mother of Dragons!" This eight year old, is mature, fierce, caring, compassionate, empathetic, and has an infectious personality. She carries all of these characteristics with her during the most trying time of her young life, her battle against cancer. When first hearing of her diagnosis, she did not cry or panic. She simply looked at the doctors and asked, "Is this life-threatening?" When told it could be treated, she put her game face on and has approached every hardship with the same perspective, "This will help me get better."

 

Daenerys, was diagnosed with cancer three months ago. After doing everything in their power  to alleviate a neck pain she was complaining of; her parents found her unable to maintain her balance one evening, completely overcome by pain and immobility. That same day; on their way to the hospital, mom discovered a mass on the back of Daenerys' head. Tests unveiled a 3 inch tumor behind her head spanning from about eye-level through the base of her skull to the nape of her neck. In a little over a week, the aggressive tumor had grown to four inches. Altogether, this was a tumor that grew from invisible to four inches in a matter of weeks! Daenerys currently has a working diagnosis of Fusion-Negative Small Round Cell Sarcoma-- "working" because she has not been officially diagnosed yet. Doctors are working tirelessly to identify the gene mutation (cause of this cancer), but to date, all of their tests are negative, and doctors are considering this tumor extremely rare.

 

This fundraiser is to support Daenerys' fight in a variety of ways:

 

I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to highlight the family surrounding this amazing little girl! I have known mom, Dorinda, since I was in the third grade. She is a licensed mental health therapist and while she has not left her daughter's side, she still finds a way to provide the support and care all of her clients need and expect. She travels with her laptop and tucks away into any empty room, closet, or private space available at the hospital to maintain the commitment she has towards her clients. Julian, dad, serves the city as an employee at NYC homeless shelters. Bonus dad, Armando, is a special education teacher who pours everything into his high-school students and colleagues (I'm blessed to have witnessed it first-hand as a former colleague). This family, is a family rooted in service; professionally and personally. They give to some of the neediest in our society and deserve as much support as we can provide them in their time of need. Let's help Daenerys follow in their path. She aspires to touch the lives of others by becoming a doctor, a child-life specialist, a chef and (yes, AND) most of all, a singer (wait until you hear her voice!). When she is through with this battle, she has promised us all a show!

PLEASE NOTE: All funds connected will go directly to Dorinda Rogers (mom) to cover the expenses listed above.