Warriors
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Joseph, Age 18
Joseph was diagnosed with ALL leukemia when he was 6 years old, on November 8th, 2013. He ended up being high risk and had a bone marrow transplant during the summer of his 7th birthday. He spent 53 days inpatient waiting for his counts to increase and then was out of school for about 2 years because his immune system was low and his risk of getting sick was higher than the normal child.
Fast forward to January 2025, Joseph had been thriving and healthy for 11 years. Then one weekend Joseph was vomiting and experiencing pain in his hip area that prompted a visit to the pediatrician to evaluate him. They sent us straight to the ER for appendicitis. Unfortunately, it ended up being the start of our world being turned upside down. Again. They found a sizable mass in his abdomen that was about 12 cm. On January 31st he had a major 13-hour surgery for resection of this tumor. Pathology reports later diagnosed Joseph with Sarcoma, more specifically “MPNST.” He was then on the road to recovery, and new scans then showed a small tumor near his spine. He had another surgery June 12th for resection of that tumor. We had done proton radiation right before this surgery to clear up the microscopic margins in his abdomen as well as to control the growth of that tumor near his spine. He was feeling good, but his wound was still recovering from that first surgery back in January. But about 10 days after the spinal surgery, Joseph wasn’t feeling well and started to have some cramping in his stomach and began vomiting. He was then admitted for bowel obstruction. This is common after the surgery he had in January, but more scans also confirmed more tumors in his abdomen. After 2 weeks inpatient, it was clear Joseph needed another surgery. He underwent a 9-hour surgery to remove the scar tissues from the January surgery as well as remove 6 more tumors!
Today Joseph is recovering from that surgery, and so far he is doing remarkably well. He’s been given many graces from God to have gone through the ordeal he has gone through. There is no doubt that he is a miracle and that he keeps strong through all of this.
September 3rd he began “targeted therapy” medication that we hope will control this monster from coming back. Joseph is 18 now and the oldest of 10 siblings.
We pray going forward that God continues to watch over our boy!
Fast forward to January 2025, Joseph had been thriving and healthy for 11 years. Then one weekend Joseph was vomiting and experiencing pain in his hip area that prompted a visit to the pediatrician to evaluate him. They sent us straight to the ER for appendicitis. Unfortunately, it ended up being the start of our world being turned upside down. Again. They found a sizable mass in his abdomen that was about 12 cm. On January 31st he had a major 13-hour surgery for resection of this tumor. Pathology reports later diagnosed Joseph with Sarcoma, more specifically “MPNST.” He was then on the road to recovery, and new scans then showed a small tumor near his spine. He had another surgery June 12th for resection of that tumor. We had done proton radiation right before this surgery to clear up the microscopic margins in his abdomen as well as to control the growth of that tumor near his spine. He was feeling good, but his wound was still recovering from that first surgery back in January. But about 10 days after the spinal surgery, Joseph wasn’t feeling well and started to have some cramping in his stomach and began vomiting. He was then admitted for bowel obstruction. This is common after the surgery he had in January, but more scans also confirmed more tumors in his abdomen. After 2 weeks inpatient, it was clear Joseph needed another surgery. He underwent a 9-hour surgery to remove the scar tissues from the January surgery as well as remove 6 more tumors!
Today Joseph is recovering from that surgery, and so far he is doing remarkably well. He’s been given many graces from God to have gone through the ordeal he has gone through. There is no doubt that he is a miracle and that he keeps strong through all of this.
September 3rd he began “targeted therapy” medication that we hope will control this monster from coming back. Joseph is 18 now and the oldest of 10 siblings.
We pray going forward that God continues to watch over our boy!