During recovery from surgery Damien dealt with feeding tubes, breathing tubes, irritated incision sites, fevers and an ear infection. He couldn't seem to pass the swallow test, even when offered ice cream. Finally, on Tuesday September 2nd, he graduated from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to Pediatric Services! He even attempted to get out of bed and walk.
Biopsy results on the tumor determined that Damien has Medulloblastoma - now with a diagnosis they could figure out his course of treatment. Second opinions were received from Boston and San Francisco so that Damien could be referred to St Jude's hospital in Tennessee. So after more than a month in the Sacramento hospital, on Saturday September 27th Damien was discharged and able to spend one night at home before getting on an airplane with his mom to be checked into St. Jude's. Damien did well on his overnight flight, considering how uncomfortable he was feeling. His dad met them at St. Jude's after driving 2,100 miles to get there.
Friday, October 3rd Damien went into surgery again, this time in Tennessee, to have the remainder of his brain tumor hopefully removed. Surgery and MRI were done by noon that day! He had another MRI on the 7th that, praise God, showed all the tumor had indeed been removed! However he faced another set back when doctors had to re-admit him to the hospital to treat him for meningitis. Damien finally started radiation therapy the third week of October and continued through November. His mom (Heather) had to return to California for work and to be with their other two children, so she missed seeing Damien run and ride a bike for the first time since July, as he finally began to heal. But his dad kept mom updated via text and videos After 6 weeks of radiation treatments, Damien was so very excited to be reunited as a whole family for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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| Damien (LDJ) with mom Heather, dad DJ, brothers Robert and Remy |
January 4th, 2015 Damien and his family arrived once again in Tennessee - this time for chemotherapy, which will last four months (I hope the hospital has a fun Easter egg hunt for the kiddos!). So far, he has been tolerating chemo well - some of the meds upset his tummy and it is hard for a 5 year old to sit still so long.
St. Jude's has been an amazing resource for Heather, Damien and their family. All Damien's medical care is given free of cost to their family, along with stays in hospital dorms and apartments, access to laundry facilities and a food stipend. But as much as St. Jude's has blessed their family through this ordeal, cancer has been a financial and emotional strain. Please see below for ways you can bless Damien's family.
*Donate to Damien's family
*Donate to St. Jude's Walk n Roll half marathon
*Donate directly to St. Jude's
*Mail a card or care package
Patient number 42267
1811 Poplar Ave
Target House 1 Rm 204
Memphis, TN 38104
*Say a prayer
*Get involved with childhood cancer research - "An estimated 10,450 new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in children ages 0 to 14 years in 2014.... Although outcomes
have improved for many childhood cancers, progress in others has been
limited. Brain and central nervous system tumors remain the leading
cause of cancer-related death in children." ~National Cancer Institute
Groups I have supported in the past that are committed to research and supporting families: Keaton Raphael Memorial, St. Bladrick's, Run of Hope Seattle and Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation. (If you are looking for an organization local to you, sometimes these groups works together or have resources to assist you in finding someone closer to home.)
Groups I have supported in the past that are committed to research and supporting families: Keaton Raphael Memorial, St. Bladrick's, Run of Hope Seattle and Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation. (If you are looking for an organization local to you, sometimes these groups works together or have resources to assist you in finding someone closer to home.)
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