Help Beatty Family with Cancer Related Expenses

Austin Beatty has lived in Falcon, CO his entire life. He attended Woodmen Hills Elementary School, Falcon Middle School and Springs Studio for Academic Excellence. He participated on the Falcon High School football team, as well.

Austin graduated in May of 2021 in the middle of the pandemic. As if the pandemic wasn't hard enough to deal with, Austin had to deal with a much larger, more significant, and life-altering health issue during his senior year. At the start of the school year, Austin was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, osteosarcoma, in his knee. He immediately started chemotherapy and had to endure many scans, hospital stays, and several surgeries. He faced the ill effects of chemo such as exhaustion, weight loss, nausea, hair loss, and general feeling "like crap". Six weeks after being diagnosed, Austin and his family were faced with a very difficult decision regarding how to proceed with his cancer treatment. After being presented with his options, Austin had to make a decision no teenager should ever have to face. Osteosarcoma requires removal and they had no other option than to amputate Austin's left leg on October 26, 2020. Healing, dealing with the pain, feeling sick, doing physical therapy, infusions, long hospital stays, and continuing with chemo filled the next five months of Austin’s life.

On March 1, 2021, Austin got his prosthetic leg. On March 25, 2021, Austin's scans came back showing he was cancer free. On April 12, 2021, he was able to ring the bell at Children's Hospital (ringing the bell signifies his treatment was done and things have run its' course). This was such an exciting day for Austin, his family, his medical staff, and his friends. Austin was on his road to recovery, starting to finally feel better after 8 months of hell. He was learning to walk again, was able to get out and watch his fellow Falcon High School football players practice the game he loves, attend their football games, worked hard on his school work and prepared for his upcoming senior events and high school graduation. On May 28, 2021, Austin WALKED across the stage and received his high school diploma!!!

When most kids are enjoying the summer after high school and taking in those last few fun moments before heading off to college, Austin was still recovering and trying to return back to his new "normal" life. College would have to wait. The next few months were spent gaining his strength and getting better. He still had many doctor appointments, physical therapy, scans, etc. but was finally feeling good!

Sadly, however, this type of cancer has a high rate of reoccurrence that he will soon discover; on September 23, 2021, Austin's scans came back showing a nodule in his lung.... the cancer had returned. On October 18, 2021, nearly one year after his leg amputation, Austin was back undergoing chemotherapy once again, and with that came more nausea, more hair loss, more surgeries, more hospitalizations, etc. These again, were an extremely tough six months.

On March 9, 2022, Austin found out he was cancer free for a second time. Soon thereafter (in June 2022), the family was able to celebrate on a trip organized by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They were able to enjoy a trip to Florida at all the great theme parks; this was a trip well-deserved by the entire family.

Austin has taken a college class here and there even while going through all of his treatments, but now was finally able to sign up for multiple classes in the fall semester of 2022. He wants to pursue physical therapy!

The next set of scans took place on October 7, 2022.... no cancer!!! For the first time in two years, the family could enjoy their holidays without hospital visits & chemo treatments. Austin would, however, continue to have pain and swelling in his leg. Shortly after Christmas 2022, however, doctor visits and scans would resume to see why Austin was having pain and swelling in his amputated leg. On January 9, 2023 the family's worst nightmares came true. The cancer was back for a third time! Results from a PET scan came back and it showed two tumors in his leg, a pea-sized nodule in his left lung, and it lit up some lymph nodes but they weren't sure if that is a sign of disease or if the nodes are reacting to the tumors in his leg. To further add to the list of complications, Austin found out he also has fractured vertebrae as well. Austin and his family began looking at various trials and finding ways to ease the pain. Austin wants to proceed with a trial but he wants to be able to live life to its fullest as well, with the time they have left. They are hoping one of the trials will help to extend that time as much as possible.

On January 30th, they found out that Austin was accepted into a trial in Seattle, WA and the family will be traveling there in a couple of weeks to start the trial. They don't know yet what the trials will look like or what the outcomes may be, but they are hopeful. Please keep Austin and his family (his mom Chris, his dad Eric, and his sister, Kiki) in your prayers.

As you can imagine after two and half years of treatments, hospital stays, travel expenses, prosthetics, physical therapy, surgeries, medications, etc., the family could use our help. Let's all help them "live life to its fullest" while Austin is feeling well enough to do so. Let's help them make beautiful memories with their son and daughter! Thank you and God bless!