Stevie Butts Medical Expenses

Update : August 25, 2024

It has been a while since I updated. Stevie has been going through her treatments at the IWK and is doing very well. She has been amazing.

Unfortunately, another hardship has fallen on this family. Stevie’s dad, Adam Clements, lost control of his motorcycle, and passed away.

He has been by their side this whole time at the IWK. He will be so very missed by his family and loved ones, especially Stevie.

This is more than any 5 year old should ever have to face.

Update August 9 from Kelsey, Stevie’s Mom :

So as some of you may already know, Stevie had an MRI done on Wednesday. Thursday at noon we met with the brain tumor team (Dr's, RNs and our social worker) and got the results.

It was not news we were prepared to hear to say the least so it took some time to process.

They have informed us that Stevie has lost the vision in her left eye because of a tumor on her optic nerve. The doctors said that the tumors are growing too rapidly for us to wait and go to Florida for treatment, that we needed to start immediately.

So yesterday Stevie got her first round of chemotherapy.

This morning she was preped for radiation, taken back to her room, did another dose of chemo and then had radiation done late this afternoon.

This radiation is different then what they wanted her to have (more concentrated to specific areas) but it was better then putting it off any longer.

The positive I took from the meeting was that with fast growing tumors, they can also shrink quickly. So that's what I'm holding onto.

She has another chemo and radiation treatment in the morning and then one day break before she moves to a Monday-Friday schedule.

The surgery she had booked to have her port and gtube put in was canceled and will be rescheduled at a later date. Treatment is number one priority right now.

As always, thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers for our girl. And thank you to all who have supported us in any way shape or form ❤️

She has an even harder road ahead of her with this new development.. but she's tough and stubborn so she's got this!

Update August 5:

Small update today.

Stevie lost the vision in her left eye.

CT scan was done.

At first we thought maybe fluid build up, but after the neurosurgeon was brought in and was told it was only one eye it didn't seem that way.

We were informed that there was a "lesion" on her left optic nerve that was found on a previous scan by one doctor. But when the neurosurgeon came in he said "tumor".

The best course of treatment is radiation, not surgery. So we just need to wait until Florida and hope that when the radiation shrinks the tumor her vision comes back

Of not.. she still has vision in her right!

Oral pain meds seem to be doing a better job than her IV was. So I'll take that win today.

Update August 1:

Stevie continues to improve. She is talking more at this point! She has been getting out of her room in a wheelchair and had the drain from her head removed, as well as the feeding tube. She has been eating as well! So all great signs!

She will be heading with her family to Jacksonville for 6 weeks of radiation. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

This little girl is so strong and is improving more every day!

Update July 25:

They have determined the type of cancer Stevie has, it is called Medulloblastoma. Within the next couple weeks Stevie and her family will be traveling to Jacksonville Florida for radiation treatment, for 6 weeks of treatments. Chemotherapy will follow the radiation treatment.

Thank you everyone for your donations. It will certainly help ease the financial stress at this already stressful time.

Update July 24 from Kelsey :

”This is probably going to be another brief update.

I'll also try not to repeat things. All my days are kind of running together and I've been doing a lot of repeating of information to as many people as I can.

Stevie is doing really well today. She wants to eat but her throat hurts too much from the intubation she had for surgery. So right now she's sticking to Popsicles and ice cream.. as much as she wants!!

Her catheter was taken out, as were some of her lines in one of her arms. She still has a drain in her head to drain off the extra cerebrospinal fluid that is building up.

We did speak to the neurosurgeon and while he cannot confirm that the mass was cancerous without pathology.. he suspects it is.

We met with the Pediatric oncologist today to talk about Stevies treatment. It will start within the next month. She will need 6 weeks of radiation and 4-10 months of chemotherapy. The order in which it will start.. I am unsure. It wasn't information I needed to know right now so I didn't even ask.

The oncologist said that depending on what type of cancer she has, she may need to go to the USA for her radiation treatments because one particular treatment is not available here in Canada. But that is a bridge we will cross if we need to.

Right now she just has to rest and recover from her brain surgery.

So over all, she is doing freaking amazing!! I can't believe how brave and strong my princess is!

And lastly.. we am completely overwhelmed at the amount of support everyone has shown for us and our sweet girl. I have tried my best to answer everyone but there have been a lot of messages of well wishes.

For every single person who has donated and shared the gofundme, and to those who are setting up their own fundraisers to help with the expenses we are going to have over the next year.. THANK YOU!!! but I feel like thank you just isn't enough. But it's all I have. ❤️

I will continue to try to do updates, but there is a lot going on and sometimes I just don't feel up to it by the end of the day. Being positive all day long in this situation is exhausting.

Thank you again everyone..

And please.. hug your babies extra everyday. This is not something I ever thought we would be going through but I know she's got her dad's ginger fire and her mom's stubbornness.. so she will get through it!”

Those who know Stevie, know that she absolutely lights up the room when she walks in. Her confidence and intelligence radiate from her. She makes everyone she comes in contact with smile.

Recently, she has been having some health issues. Vomiting, which progressively got worse and ended up interfering with her appetite. She has also been having issues with walking.

Multiple trips to different doctors and emergency rooms later, Kelsey found herself back at emerg with Stevie on Saturday where doctors were running more tests.

Monday, Stevie had 2 seizure episodes which led to a CT scan that revealed a mass in her brain. This mass was blocking where her fluid drains.

She was airlifted to the IWK for a MRI and surgery to remove the mass. This morning, post MRI, Kelsey, Adam, and family were informed that she also has masses in her spine and is likely facing chemo/radiation.

She underwent surgery today, and only got out around 7:45PM tonight. She will remain sedated until a post surgical MRI tomorrow morning. The neurosurgeon thinks he got most, if not all of the mass, and does believe that it looks cancerous. They are awaiting results from testing the mass to confirm.

Part of the recovery process is that they have to kind of wake her to check her functions and then they put her back out. She is responsive to Kelsey’s questions and is moving her leg and squeezing her hand when asked! It's a huge relief!

Needless to say, there will be travel expenses and likely medical expenses associated with Stevie’s care. I’m setting up this Go Fund Me to help Kelsey and Adam look after this sweet girl as she beats this!

Any little bit helps, I know they will appreciate it.

We all love Stevie so much and can’t wait to see her back to her usual joyful self.