Natty's Fight

On October 14, 2022 our family's lives changed forever. The words I am writing are beyond anything that a parent should ever have to fathom, an aching that no child should have to endure. Our daughter Natalie Grace Morgan, who has been ill, was diagnosed with High Risk Metastatic Neuroblastoma at the young age of 19 months. Upon diagnosis a treatment plan quickly came together and she began to receive complex care at The University of Michigan. In the last month she has encountered two rounds of chemotherapy, multiple blood transfusions, antibiotics, pain and nausea medications, and a feeding tube placement. Later this week we look forward to a bone marrow harvest that will help with treatment in the future.

Natalie is a strong little girl who has the will to fight. Despite her strength, her medical treatments are intense. Eighteen months of immediate care is the anticipated best case scenario. Children diagnosed with high risk metastatic neuroblastoma require a minimum of 18 months of aggressive treatment, sometimes longer in order to attain the state of remission. Once remission is achieved complex monitoring will continue since the highest chances of relapse occurs within the first 12 months. Natalie's primary tumor is located in her abdomen's right upper quadrant. She is currently receiving daily chemotherapy along with scheduled chemotherapy visits to U of M. The goal is to shrink the primary tumor enough that it can be safely removed. Once the tumor is successfully excised radiation treatments will follow along with bone marrow transplants stage 1, then 2. Each one of these sages will require at least a month-long stay in the hospital where Natalie will receive additional high doses of chemotherapy, and then be “rescued” -as the doctor states by her own previously extracted bone marrow cells. Following each transplant a likely 6 months or longer is dedicated to a mixture of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, all with the hope to increase the chance for continued remission. Finally, God willing all of the planned stages to go well, the last course of treatment will be a determined maintenance and monitoring plan.

Up until the time of diagnosis our household has been a two income family. At that time a decision was made to focus my attention on Natalie, her upcoming treatments and unforeseen side effects. She also has a big sister Deborah (almost 3 years old). The past month has been extremely difficult for Deborah to navigate with all of the changes occurring physically and emotionally. We are also beginning to feel the financial burden as some of the medical bills have already begun to trickle in.

Please pray for our family during this difficult time, that we are able to feel the strength, healing and comfort that only the Lord Jesus Christ can provide. We ask that if you are able to donate financially to help in Natalies treatment that you do so freely without the feeling of obligation. Please help Natalie to obtain the medical care she needs. Any donation will allow extra time that I am able to stay at home and help our girls grow into strong, healthy, loving, and kind individuals.

Thank you so much.

Sincerely,

Rachel Morgan