Improvements, More Chemo
Hey everybody! So just a quick update, a recent MRI showed some nice improvement with Danny. There was still an area of cancer cells in his spine, but the doctors were pleased with how he’s responding to treatment. Now he is back on the chemotherapy train (NOT a fun train!), and he’s lost quite a bit of weight, but overall he’s doing okay. Here’s the update on treatment from his mom:
I talked to the doctors and now have a better understanding of what he will be doing for the next SIX MONTHS! This next stage last for 28 days and he will receive a large amount of chemo (many different types) over the next 4 days, and that’s why he needs to be here. They need to keep him very hydrated to keep his kidneys flushed out while he gets all this chemo. After this though he will receive just one dose next week, and then he’ll take a chemo pill(s) from day 16 until day 28, and I will also have to give him the same shot I gave him before, for at least 10 days, as his bloods counts will get really low. Then on day 29, he’ll start this same treatment ALL over again for a total of 6 months. All of this Chemo of course will again make him tired, sick, and will come with all of the other wonderful side effects, but no matter, if thats what it takes to heal him then we’ll get through it, no matter what it brings. OK easy for me to say I’m not the one having to do it all, but we’ll all help him though it.
So there you go. Keep in mind that all these procedures cost a ton of money and donate at the top of the page if you can. I’ll probably have an announcement as to what we’ve made at the end of the week, and then I’ll send it off to my aunt and uncle, Even if it’s just a couple bucks, now’s the time. THANKS!
Happy Birthday Danny!
Danny turned 12 years old this week! He got to spend a few days away from hospitals and have some MUCH DESERVED fun! Here, in his own words, is what he’s been up to:
Hi this is Danny. I wanted to let you know I got to go to the Lake of the Ozarks for a few days. I had a lot of fun too. We swam in the pool and we rented a pontoon boat and we rode around on the lake, but just for 4 hours one morning. Brandon got in the lake to swim but I couldn’t, I can’t get in dirty water, but I did drive the boat, with dads help. The best part is I got to drive a go-cart, twice. I did pretty good, I didn’t even come in last, but I won’t say who did, mom. It was nice to get out of the house and get away and do some fun things. My mom and dad say that I seem like I’ve been getting stronger, I did have to go up and down a lot of steps at the hotel. I did almost eat a whole Arby Q sandwich the other day too, I’m trying to eat more. In two hours I’ll be 12 years old, and then I’ll have only one more year till I’m a teenager. Thank you for all of the birthday cards and birthday wishes already. I think we might try to go to Grant’s Farm and go see Spiderman tomorrow, and then of course, go out to eat with the family for dinner. I get to choose, right now I can’t decide if I want to go to Deaver’s or Applebee’s. I’ll have to see what I feel like tomorrow. I can’t think of anything else so I’m gong to go watch tv and try to stay up till midnight, I doubt I will though.
Hope you made it to midnight, Danny! Happy Birthday!
As always, please donate what you can by clicking the button up top. Thanks so much for all you have done thus far to take a bite out of the family’s insane hospital bills, and please spread the word. I’m getting really excited about sending these guys a check for what we’ve made through this site with all of your help!
Done with Chemo & Radiation for a MONTH!
Sorry it’s been a while since the last update, but things are going really well. Danny is DONE with chemotherapy for the time being, and tomorrow he gets to go OFF radiation! He’s lost quite a bit of weight, he gets sick off and on, but for the most part this is all really great news. Danny asked to tell everyone hi and that he is so excited to be done with chemo. Can’t say I blame him! In about a month, he’ll have a spinal tap and an MRI to figure out how everything is holding. As always, let’s keep him in our thoughts and hopes and prayers! And I intend to send the family what we’ve raised at the end of the month, so please donate up top if you can and pass the link on to friends and family! THANKS!!!
BEST NEWS EVER!
Wow, what a difference a week makes! I checked in this morning on Danny’s progress and he’s made a pretty complete turnaround. He’s not totally out of the woods, of course, but this is undeniably thrilling news! Below you’ll find, in Danny’s own words, the update (Duke is his black lab, by the way). YES!!! Please keep the donations and thoughts and prayers and support coming!
Brain tumor removed….. Check
Port and spinal tap done…. Check
Shunt put in head….. Check
Started chemo and radiation….. Check
Breathing tube put In, then removed….. Check
Feeding tube put in, a few times, and took out….. Check
Laying in bed with no wires hanging out of me….. Check
Eating….. Check
Walking….. Check
Getting stronger every day….. Check
24 straight days in the hospital….. Check
G O I N G H O M E ……….. PRICELESS
Yes, we are going home now, I can’t wait to get home and to see Duke!
I gotta go before they change their minds…. get back to you all later -
I’m going HOME!
Auction Update and A Visit with Danny
First off, I just want to announce that the guitar auction raised…drumroll please…$1,276.00 for Danny! So exciting, and I want to thank everyone who bid and spread the word. I’d also like to thank my fantastic friend Gene Hong, who had the idea for the auction, as well as Adam Levine and Maroon 5 for the donation! My aunt Peggy, Danny’s mom, told me that she and Danny watch THE VOICE every week, and when she showed Danny a photo of Adam with the guitar, he asked if she would bid on it! I thought that was really funny.
I visited Danny two weeks ago in Saint Louis and he looked fairly healthy, all things considered. He was home, resting on the couch. I brought him over a huge box of my old toys and figurines and he loved looking through it and picking out some stuff to keep. My mom gave him some lottery scratch-off tickets and he won 15 bucks, not too shabby. He was tired but the same old Danny - super chill and cracking jokes about his siblings.
Well, I visited him this weekend and it was a different story. He’s in the ICU of the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital, and when I opened the door to his wing, I heard kids screaming. I didn’t know if I could stand to see him in that kind of condition, and I stopped off at the restroom to get myself together. Danny wasn’t making noise, which was something of a relief after what I’d heard. He was lying on his back, unable to speak, eyes closed, a variety of tubes going into him. He had some shin-guard type things on his legs to keep his muscles from aching and cramping up. One half of his head was shaved, which made him look pretty tough. The mohawk look really works for him! I assumed he was asleep, but when Peggy told him I was in the room, he raised his little hand and gave me a wave.
I talked to his family for a bit. The tumor is very aggressive, and has grown and spread. Not great news, but it is expected and that’s what the chemo and radiation is for. He also has pneumonia, but apparently that’s part of the process too. He has some struggles with breathing, including one little issue while I was there that sure freaked me out, but just seemed like par for the course for everyone else in the room. Pretty intense stuff.
The family spends as much time in Danny’s room as they can. My aunt sleeps in a chair in his hospital room every night, and pretty much doesn’t leave his side. The nurses seem to be doing a fantastic job. The one I saw was so careful with him and friendly. Whatever she was doing seemed to be necessary but pretty painful - his face was scrunched up into a scowl, and I started to feel like it was best to leave for the night. I said goodbye and Danny gave me another little wave. I walked out to my car and turned on some music and I suddenly felt so grateful just to be able to do those simple things. It really made me value my health, and made me so hopeful for Danny’s quick return to the normal pleasures of life we all take for granted.
My aunt and uncle wanted me to make sure I thanked all of you guys for your thoughts and prayers and donations. So…THANK YOU! Including the money from the guitar auction, we have raised an astonishing $6,000 for Danny! In a week! That’s just awesome. Please keep Danny in your hearts and pass the link to this page around. Everything helps. Thanks again, and I’ll keep you posted on how he’s doing.
Last Day for the Maroon 5 Guitar Auction!
As you may have gathered from the title of this post, today is the LAST DAY to bid on the autographed Adam Levine/Maroon 5 electric guitar! The bidding is up over $1,000, which is fantastic, but I’d love to see it go even higher by tonight! It’s a win/win, you get this awesome collector’s item AND you’re helping out a child and family going through a really tough time. Get those bids in and pass the link around! If you’d rather make a traditional donation, just hit that yellow “Donate” button at the top of the page. THANK YOU!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Autographed-Maroon-5-Electric-Guitar-ACTUAL-GUITAR-PHOTO-CHARITY-/130690369866
Auction for Danny!
Halfway through Day 2 of fundraising and we’re over $3,000! Feeling it! Loving it!
And now there’s another way to contribute! Adam Levine and Maroon 5 have donated a beautiful autographed electric guitar, and 100% of the proceeds from the auction go to Danny’s medical bills! The guitar you see in the photo below CAN BE YOURS! Bid now, bid often, bid generously, and share the link with as many as you can!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Autographed-Maroon-5-Electric-Guitar-ACTUAL-GUITAR-PHOTO-CHARITY-/130690369866
You guys are THE BEST!
This site has been accepting donations for only 24 hours, and we have already collected more than $2,000 for Danny and his family! $2,000! You guys! That is amazing! I have been blown away at the generosity of my friends, and triple double blown away by the generosity of complete strangers! To all of you who reblogged yesterday’s post, retweeted the link, shared the facebook status, told your friends, sent money, prayers, love, support…I just can’t tell you what it means to me, and more importantly, to Danny and his family.
I got an update yesterday on Danny’s condition, and look…it’s not always gonna be good news on here with everything he’s going through. They had to insert a breathing tube AND a feeding tube into him last night. I just keep thinking about what I was doing when I was 11 years old, you know? A heated kickball game is about as stressful as it got. Danny is one tough little dude.
Below is a great photo of Danny with his big sister and brother before things got really crazy. Keep the donations coming and keep on spreading the word, guys. You are making a HUGE difference in the lives of some great people. Thank you!!!
Meet Danny
This is Danny. He’s my 11 year-old cousin. He’s cute. He’s funny. He loves drawing and playing with his Star Wars Legos. He’s super smart - a sixth grader reading at a twelfth grade level! And sadly, shockingly, inexplicably, he was just diagnosed with a brain tumor.
A couple weeks back, he started complaining about headaches, and the kid’s not a whiner so his parents figured something was up. Nobody could have prepared for what the problem actually was. The MRI revealed a malignant tumor, and to make matters worse, it was the most aggressive and dangerous type - a “Grade 4.”
Danny had an extremely serious operation and the tumor was successfully removed, but he started complaining of more bad headaches last week. He went in for a follow-up surgery Wednesday to relieve pressure on his brain caused by an increase in cerebral spinal fluid in the frontal lobes of his brain. Yesterday he started receiving chemotherapy and radiation. Five days a week for the next seven weeks, he’ll receive chemo in the morning at 9am, followed by radiation at 11am. Not fun. He’s in a lot of pain and can’t keep anything down and the cancer has been wreaking havoc on his nerves and muscles.
Danny lives in Saint Louis, Missouri with three older siblings - Jake, 21, Rachel, 18, and Brandon, 15. Jake and Brandon just shaved their heads in support of Danny! He has two loving parents, George and Peggy. And he has some pretty outrageous hospital bills. Like, more outrageous than you’ve probably imagined. Without getting into specifics, the first bill (of many) that the family received totaled a good deal more than most peoples’ yearly salaries.
If you can keep Danny in your thoughts and prayers, that would be awesome. He also needs money. Every little bit helps. Are you going out drinking this weekend? Maybe have one less cocktail than you normally would, send that 10 bucks to Danny, and wake up with less of a hangover! Donating is fast, it’s easy, and it’ll make you feel good. I’ve set up a secure paypal account, just click on the yellow “DONATE” button at the top of this page.
100% of the money we make goes directly to Danny’s hospital bills. I’ll keep this site updated with news on Danny’s condition, and Danny’s going to send me some messages to post as well. I know we all can’t wait to see his health improve, and you can be a part of that. Thank you so very much in advance for your help.
Sincerely,
Patrick Walsh
