Help Christopher's Family Fight Ewing Sarcoma

I’m coming to you today on behalf of one of my favorite families in the world: my sister’s family, the Urbaniaks. They are a feisty tribe of lively folk led by my sister Vanessa and her husband Sebastian. Earlier this year they discovered that their eldest son, Christopher, had a mass on his thigh. Many agonizing days and countless tests later, Christopher had a diagnosis: Ewing Sarcoma, an aggressive and rare bone cancer that afflicts less than 300 people in the US a year. Not only was there a tumor in his thigh tissue, the cancer had also metastasized to his lungs. Following this devastating news the Urbaniak family was turned upside down. Christopher is 13 years old and the eldest of 6 children (also the eldest grandson of 26 grandchildren). They are a homeschooling family who were used to having mama home 24/7. In March that all changed as mama, and oftentimes daddy too, were gone for days at a time to be with Christopher at the children's hospital 2 hours away. Their year has been one of navigating difficult diagnoses, treatments, and surgeries. But throughout all this suffering, it has also been a grace-filled year as family and friends have offered support, joining hands and hearts, storming heaven for our Christopher. It has been amazing to watch Christopher bounce back again, and again, and again. After his latest setback he stated, “I’m not giving up.” We still have so much hope for his journey! (I will add more detailed information regarding Chris’s medical journey at the bottom of this post).

As I’m sure you can imagine, many financial needs arise when your family life is turned upside down in this way. Sebastian’s job at his family’s business was able to guarantee his salary throughout this whole ordeal. Praise God for that blessing! Yet there are still areas where the Urbaniak family could use financial support and I am so grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to do this for them.

A family of 8 is a large one, and rising costs across the board prove difficult for many, let alone a family suffering from medical burdens and the hardships they bring. Sebastian supported his family outside of his normal full-time job with ‘side jobs.’ He has not been able to complete enough of this work due to being needed at the hospital. As winter approaches, this inability to work has left a significant financial gap for their family.

This is where I humbly ask you to come in. The bigger the circle of prayer and support we can form around Christopher and his family, the greater the opportunity we have to see God’s mercy and grace writ large. We don’t know the details of God’s plan for Christopher but we do know that we love him and want him to be with us a while longer here on this side of heaven. We also know that Jesus told us to be like the widow woman who knocked on the door until it was answered. So I invite you all to join us in knocking on the door for Christopher.

If you can contribute monetarily to the Urbaniak family, I thank you. If you can pause and say a prayer for them, I thank you a thousand times over.

God Bless,

Iona Sturgill

Aunt and Godmother to Christopher Urbaniak

Details on Christopher's Medical Journey:

My 13-year-old nephew and godson, Christopher, was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma back in March of this year. They found that along with a mass in his thigh tissue, the cancer had also metastasized to his lungs. He was placed on an aggressive chemotherapy protocol to shrink the tumor and the tumor was successfully removed back in June. Christopher rebounded from the surgery like a boss and was back to using his leg in a matter of weeks. He continued chemo treatments and began physical therapy. Despite the aggressive treatment plan that he was on, several masses on his lungs grew to the point of needing to be surgically removed. He underwent surgery for this in August. Again, Christopher rebounded from that surgery as only a grace-filled, determined teenager could. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, Christopher went back in for emergency surgery after experiencing continued excruciating chest pain. His lungs were filled with blood due to a surgical mistake and he was in danger of cardiac arrest. Praise God for His grace and the gift of doctors, he pulled through but the findings this time were worrisome. The fluid that he had drained from his lungs prior to his emergency surgery contained cancer cells, not a good sign. His chemo regimen is being adjusted again and radiation will be added. Other hospitals are being consulted as Ewing Sarcoma is rare and the more medical knowledge that they can tap into, the better. I will gladly update Christopher’s medical journey and share any news as it occurs. Please join our family in praying for Christopher. Praying for their immediate family. Praying for a miracle.