Prayers and Hope for Madeline

My name is Doug Sherman, and I am writing on behalf of Madeline Randall. Madeline recently celebrated her 2nd birthday, and is the youngest daughter of Sean and Lili - two of the most loving, caring and adoring parents in the world. When not climbing into daddy's arms for long, warm cuddles, she's a vivacious and energetic sprite that loves to bounce on the trampoline, play with her two sisters (Savannah - 5, and Annabelle - 7) and their two oversized cuddle-dogs, Daisy and Gemma.

Sean is a US Army veteran and flew an AH-64 Apache in Afghanistan before leaving the service as an O-3 to start his professional career in Tucson, AZ. Lili was the angel that grounded him and brought happiness into his life, and together they started the perfect, loving American family, with three little mini-angels to fill their lives with hopes and dreams

On Saturday, May 22nd, Sean called his mom (my wife, Tina) to let her know that he was taking Madeline to the hospital for what appeared to be a troublesome gastrointestinal issue. The issue became more concerning when the doctors discovered an infection in the bones of her legs and pelvis, which required surgery to drain. Sepsis was the initial diagnosis but, by the following day, subsequent tests and MRIs were leading the doctors to believe that the issue was far more serious than any type of infection. Tina and her youngest daughter, Toni, were on the first flight to AZ on the 24th to take care of the other girls, the house and dogs so that Sean and Lili could focus on Madeline.

After a week of IVs, epidurals, MRIs, biopsies and being anesthetized more times than most people endure in their entire lives, she was transferred to a children's oncology center in Tucson. So far, we're on day 12 (or 13... it's all a blur) and we're learning more each day, but the doctors are leaning towards it being an advanced neuroblastoma that looks to have metastasized to her bones and liver. They're going to do additional MRIs to see if it's anywhere else, but the plan is to start chemo, radiation and stem cell treatments on the 5th.

The doctors are expecting that she'll be in the hospital for at least another month, which is almost an hour away from where the family lives. So that they can be closer to Madeline, the family has two hotel rooms next to the hospital, where they plan on staying until Madeline fully recovers and can come home. Mom refuses to leave the room...

We're not the type of family to ask for anything that we don't deserve or can't get for ourselves, especially Sean and Lili, but the needs of our children sometimes outweigh our pride. On behalf of the Randall family, I'm asking for help in covering the accumulation of exorbitant medical expenses, hotel rooms, food and travel, and misc. costs. Sean and Lili are struggling with a situation that no parent should ever face. The last thing we want is to add financial stress to their worries.

Our goal is an estimate since we have no idea of the total impact, but we're trying to be prepared. If the total donation amount exceeds the actual expenses accrued once Madeline is healthy, happy and at home, then the remaining proceeds will be donated to a charity of Sean and Lili's choice.

Finally, we want to thank everyone that has already contributed financially, or with their thoughts and prayers. It may not seem like much, but every bit helps and they are very much appreciated.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this on your Facebook timeline, or through any other social media outlet that reaches your network.

We will provide updates as they become available. And, once again, Thank You for your support!


You can also follow along on Sean's FB page, although updates there may be sporadic, as would be expected.
https://www.facebook.com/sean.randall.79