Harper’s Wish & What’s Next
In support of
Harper's Recovery
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Harper's Recovery
We had the most wonderful time at Walt Disney World for Harper’s wish through Make-A-Wish Foundation. We stayed at Give Kids The World Village alongside other wish families, and it was truly incredible. The volunteers were so kind, and every detail was thoughtfully planned to make the experience special.
Considering she had just come off a fever, Harper did amazingly well. She loved meeting the characters at each park, enjoyed so many rides (including several roller coasters!), and ate plenty of ice cream. It was pure joy watching her soak it all in.
We returned home Saturday morning with full hearts and completely exhausted in the best way.
Today we went to clinic to review Harper’s MRI and discuss next steps. The good news: her tumors are responding to chemo, and everything has shrunk some. The harder news: her liver is still too enlarged to safely move forward with surgery or radiation without risking damage to her remaining kidney.
Another challenge is that one of the genes in her tumor can become resistant to chemotherapy, so we need to adjust her treatment plan. Starting tomorrow, she will begin five days of outpatient chemo — two drugs she has had before, though not since around July — along with an oral medication that’s typically used in adults. There is a small pediatric study showing some promise when this oral medication is paired with the IV chemo.
We are grateful for the positive news and thankful for a break from inpatient chemo. We’ll rescan in about nine weeks and are hopeful that radiation might be a possibility then.
Thank you for continuing to pray, support, and walk this road with us.
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Janice Barrett
Wendi Gaskill
Susan Croyle
Ashley Schuller
Ashley Schuller
Cindy Coles Rappenglueck
Julie Giglio Manganiello
Cheryn Fogarty