Support Wyatt's Fight Against Brain Cancer

My name is Stefanie, and Amanda and I have been friends for nearly 20 years. Besides being gifted our wonderful friendship, I’ve also been fortunate enough to see her and her husband Jared start the family they’ve always wanted.

On July 17th, Amanda, Jared, Wyatt, and Braxton all enjoyed their first Reds game together as a family. Little did they know that their lives would change completely just a few days later.

On July 20th, four-year-old Wyatt was rushed to the ER at Cincinnati Children’s after complaining of a headache and nausea in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, their worst fears were confirmed when the medical team identified a 4 cm x 4 cm tumor in the posterior fossa region of his brain. On July 26th, Wyatt successfully underwent a 9-hour surgery to remove the entire tumor. In the days following the surgery, Wyatt’s speech and motor skills were noticeably decreased. This was to be expected considering the magnitude of the surgery, but he now requires extensive therapies for the foreseeable future.

On August 2nd, the doctors diagnosed Wyatt's tumor as a malignant Ependymoma, a rare and aggressive tumor that originates in the Central Nervous System and affects less than 200 kids in the United States per year. Unfortunately, it’s also a cancer that has a tendency to grow back. Wyatt will begin 6 weeks of proton radiation therapy to treat the cancer cells as soon as doctors can remove the EVD (external ventricular drain) that is reducing the build-up of cerebral spinal fluid from his brain caused by surgery.

Amanda and Jared will have to balance their full-time jobs with being present for Wyatt during his treatments, rehabilitation, and other appointments. This will obviously create an emotional and financial strain for the Thomas family.

They did not ask for a GoFundMe, but I believe it will help ease their worried minds so they can focus on Wyatt’s treatment and recovery, and do their best to help Wyatt’s two-year-old brother Braxton also navigate this tough time. Wyatt has a long road ahead of him- medical and living expenses shouldn’t have to be an added concern for the family. Let’s all show the Thomas family, especially Wyatt, how much we care and how much we’re all rooting for him. He’s got this!

With your generosity, we can help lessen the financial burden for the Thomas family. Thank you so much for your support, love, and many prayers during this unthinkable time. I know they’re forever grateful for all of you.