Lauren was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor at age two, went through chemo, had surgery, and was declared cancer-free – all within about 6 months. But then, about a month later, her cancer relapsed into her left lung, and everything started all over again.
This time, Lauren had smaller tumors all through her left lung, not just one, as she had in her kidney.
“They tried a different, stronger chemo this time,” explained her mom, Sarah. “She would have chemo for five days, then go home for two weeks. This lasted from October to July.”
Lauren was four years old when treatment ended, and was happy to be finished with chemo. But, then a few months later, her doctors found yet another slow-growing spot that did not cause any pain.
“She had to go through chemo again for four months, up to just before her fifth birthday,” recalled Sarah. “Then we took a month off chemo to figure out what to do next.” They opted for a stem cell transplant surgery.
“Lauren was super tough and did really well through everything. After about three years of routine scans, doctors stopped doing them and Lauren went through cancer survivorship classes at age eight,” Sarah explained.
Fast forward to last September. Lauren was now 12 years old and had been tired a lot. When she began complaining of side and chest pain, it was off to the ER. You guessed it, doctors found another spot. It was in the exact same place in her lung as before, and had basically come out of nowhere.
Sarah could tell the doctor was having a hard time telling them she had relapsed and bravely let him know, it was ok.
“We’d already been through so much, it was like old hat for us. It sure would’ve been easier if we knew and understood what to expect back then. We were so scared. I didn’t even know kids could get cancer until Lauren did,” Sarah said. “I wish I could go back in time and tell myself it’s going to be ok.”
“I was so mad back then. I would meet people who were more experienced with cancer, and I would think, how can they be so jolly? But now I understand, you learn to find your joy differently,” Sarah remembered.
All these years of back and forth to the hospital have, of course, caused a strain on the family finances. Through a connection made years ago with another family braving childhood cancer, Sarah learned of Compass to Care.
“The help we get from Compass to Care means the world. It keeps us from worrying about gas and parking. I’m not working now, and we have so many other bills. It’s a big relief,” Sarah shared. “Thank you so much. You are all amazing. You are all helping to save lives.”
Lauren’s Reaction
Lauren’s reaction to this latest relapse was different. She was angry about having to do chemo again.
“It did not help that it was a liquid that tasted like gasoline and burned all the way down,” said Sarah. (It has since been exchanged for chemo in a pill form.)
“She is so upset about having to put more chemicals into her body. We’ve almost had to carry her to the car for chemo,” Sarah said.
On a positive note, doctors say she barely has any cancer cells left after a recent surgery that removed ribs, tissue, and the tumor.