Dakota's Journey with Brain Cancer
Donation protected
February 21st. A day we that will always be embedded in our minds and memories. Dakota, 8, had been complaining about some vision issues. Her comments about wanting glasses seemed like a game or a ploy to be like her cousin. To ease her mind, and Molly's, they went to the eye doctor. The Ophthalmologist noticed some double and even triple vision and sent them for some more in depth testing. The tests performed all came back inconclusive. Was Dakota faking to get glasses?
The Ophthalmologist sent them to Scottish Rite to have an MRI to check on her eyes. The goal was to make sure nothing was behind her eyes pushing on her optic nerves. When they arrived the nurses let the family know it would be about an hour for the procedure. Molly kissed Dakota and they rolled her back. An hour passed, no Dakota. An hour and a half, no Dakota. Molly's mind immediately began to race with worse case scenarios. Had something gone wrong with the sedation? Finally, 2 hours after the start of the procedure the nurse came and got Molly. She mentioned nothing. Molly's phone had died during the procedure so she plugged it up when they got back to the car. "Ding. Ding." Two notifications from the eye doctor...that was too quick. "We found a tumor in her brain and we're going to get her to a neurosurgeon ASAP". How? Why? All Dakota wanted was glasses. Nothing was wrong. No one understood. Molly and her husband Chris told Dakota immediately.
That Friday they were seen by a Neurosurgeon at Scottish Rite who explained that Dakota's tumor was very unique. The tumor is 3 cm and "branching" meaning growing but we don't know how fast. Her tumor is in an important part of her brain called the Thalamus which makes it inoperable. A few days later Dakota bravely underwent a craniotomy where a biopsy was done to give a clearer picture of her tumor, whether the tumor is cancerous or not and the rate at which it is growing. They really have a great team who is helping them understand everything that is going on.
Fast forward to April 12th, we have a diagnosis. Sweet Dakota has a rare and unique tumor. It's a Grade 1 Pilocystic Astrocytoma (Juvenile). Normally this tumor attaches itself in the cerebellum but Dakota's is in her Thalamus which makes her tumor so rare. She will live with this for the rest of her life. They did assure them that Dakota's tumor is a lazy growing tumor. Of all the tumors, this is the one to have.
Sweet, brave Dakota is about to embark on a full year of Chemotherapy to fight her tumor. Her port has been placed, she has been loved on by her family, friends, and community. But we can do more. Our community can rally behind the Southerland's and help ease the burden of these commutes, loss of income, doctors visits, and other finances that are on going. Molly, Chris and Dakota have a long road with at least a year of chemo treatments and more ahead and as a support group we can remind them, they are not alone.
Please offer what you can to help the Southerland's journey. Friday, April 26th is the first of 52 treatments for Dakota! Let's help show her and her family, we are #Kotastrong.
Stay updated here: https://www.facebook.com/Dakotas-Journey-319559268695539/
The Ophthalmologist sent them to Scottish Rite to have an MRI to check on her eyes. The goal was to make sure nothing was behind her eyes pushing on her optic nerves. When they arrived the nurses let the family know it would be about an hour for the procedure. Molly kissed Dakota and they rolled her back. An hour passed, no Dakota. An hour and a half, no Dakota. Molly's mind immediately began to race with worse case scenarios. Had something gone wrong with the sedation? Finally, 2 hours after the start of the procedure the nurse came and got Molly. She mentioned nothing. Molly's phone had died during the procedure so she plugged it up when they got back to the car. "Ding. Ding." Two notifications from the eye doctor...that was too quick. "We found a tumor in her brain and we're going to get her to a neurosurgeon ASAP". How? Why? All Dakota wanted was glasses. Nothing was wrong. No one understood. Molly and her husband Chris told Dakota immediately.
That Friday they were seen by a Neurosurgeon at Scottish Rite who explained that Dakota's tumor was very unique. The tumor is 3 cm and "branching" meaning growing but we don't know how fast. Her tumor is in an important part of her brain called the Thalamus which makes it inoperable. A few days later Dakota bravely underwent a craniotomy where a biopsy was done to give a clearer picture of her tumor, whether the tumor is cancerous or not and the rate at which it is growing. They really have a great team who is helping them understand everything that is going on.
Fast forward to April 12th, we have a diagnosis. Sweet Dakota has a rare and unique tumor. It's a Grade 1 Pilocystic Astrocytoma (Juvenile). Normally this tumor attaches itself in the cerebellum but Dakota's is in her Thalamus which makes her tumor so rare. She will live with this for the rest of her life. They did assure them that Dakota's tumor is a lazy growing tumor. Of all the tumors, this is the one to have.
Sweet, brave Dakota is about to embark on a full year of Chemotherapy to fight her tumor. Her port has been placed, she has been loved on by her family, friends, and community. But we can do more. Our community can rally behind the Southerland's and help ease the burden of these commutes, loss of income, doctors visits, and other finances that are on going. Molly, Chris and Dakota have a long road with at least a year of chemo treatments and more ahead and as a support group we can remind them, they are not alone.
Please offer what you can to help the Southerland's journey. Friday, April 26th is the first of 52 treatments for Dakota! Let's help show her and her family, we are #Kotastrong.
Stay updated here: https://www.facebook.com/Dakotas-Journey-319559268695539/
Co-organizers (2)
Selena Lockwood Jacobs
Organizer
McDonough, GA
Molly Southerland
Beneficiary
Megan Wallace LeMaster
Co-organizer