Axel - Willow

My husband and I drove Axel into Anchorage when he started having blood in his urine 2 weeks after his second birthday. An ultrasound at his ER visit showed a mass on his right kidney. I was staying at my grandfather’s house next to the hospital with our newborn when Forrest called to tell me the findings. Axel was immediately taken upstairs (it was almost midnight) to the pediatric floor where he would get further tests and imaging the next day. Once they received all the results from another ultrasound, CT, and echo, we were told that the surgeon would perform surgery to remove the tumor first thing in the morning. At this point they said it was probably Wilm's tumor, but they couldn't confirm until the tumor was tested. At this point I was positive it was Wilm's because a very close relative had a Wilm's diagnosis almost exactly 3 years prior. After his successful surgery (removed full right kidney and 9 lymph nodes) he stayed in the hospital for 6 days. Due to a spillage during surgery, he would automatically have to undergo stage 3 protocol (results came back as stage 3 as well) which was 6 rounds of radiation and a 28-week chemo regimen (vincristine, doxorubicin & dactinomycin). Axel has been a warrior through his whole treatment. He has exceeded every expectation. Despite the odds, I can proudly say he made it through without a feeding tube, transfusions, or emergency room visits.

I can't thank you enough for the work you do for our community and the help you have provided my family.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU a million!