We are Sarah and Drew, Aiden's parents. We were devastated to learn that after weeks of unexplained illness, Aiden Wallace Cook was diagnosed with high-risk, stage 4 neuroblastoma at only 5 months old. To follow our story, here is a link to our CaringBridge site. We post daily journal entries and lots of photos there. Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system that only occurs in 600-800 patients each year in the United States but is the most common form of cancer in infants and children. Aiden's disease is advanced; the cancer has spread to his bone marrow and several other organs. He will require many cycles of chemotherapy, resection surgery of the primary tumor, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, bone marrow transplant, as well as other treatments and therapies. We expect Aiden to undergo treatment for the next 3-1/2 to 4 years. For more information on neuroblastoma, here is a link to the Cleveland Clinic's website with information about the disease. One of the leading institutions treating neuroblastoma and the same hospital where Aiden is being treated. Aiden will reach many of his developmental milestones in the hospital during inpatient stays while undergoing treatment. When he can go home between treatments, he will require full-time care. He will not be able to go to daycare because he will be immunocompromised, meaning one of us will always need to be home to care for him. This will cause a great disruption to the life of our family. Many of those who know and care about us have asked how they can help. Helping us take on the challenges of uncovered medical expenses, loss of income, and incidental expenses is the easiest way to lend a hand so we can focus on taking care of Aiden.
Artículos relacionados
