December 12, 2021 is a day our family will never forget. I brought our six-year-old daughter Ariana to the ER due to suspicious bruising around her umbilicus and pain in her right side. We were admitted into the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital after an x-ray revealed a suspicious mass in her liver. By December 17, Ariana was diagnosed with stage 4 Hepatoblastoma, which is a rare liver cancer that affects young children. At diagnosis, Ariana had one large mass and several small masses in all quadrants of her liver, as well as a mass on the lower part of her right lung. That first week involved many blood tests, MRI, CT and an open liver biopsy. At the same time as the biopsy, they gave her a port to allow for easy access for chemo and other medicines she may need during treatment.
On Monday, December 20, Ariana received her first dose of chemotherapy and handled it like a champ. After almost 2 weeks in the hospital, we were able to go home and spend Christmas day together as a family. It was wonderful!
Ariana is enrolled in the SIOPEL-4 chemotherapy clinical trial. After finishing the first eight rounds of chemo, she had scans to determine if her tumors were resectable or if she needed a liver transplant. We took her to Children’s Hospital Colorado for a two-day evaluation. It was determined she would need a transplant. She will continue receiving chemotherapy until transplant surgery, as well as for a few rounds after surgery.
We got the call that a liver was found for Ariana on March 27, 2022. We raced to get our family of six from Iowa City to Denver, where her surgery would take place. After an incredibly long travel day, we arrived at Children’s CO. Ariana was wiped out from the difficult day and had a low-grade fever, which prevented her from being able to have the transplant. This was heart wrenching news for us after what we had endured to get her there. However, we firmly believe that the perfect, cancer-free liver for Ariana will be found.
Ariana has always been a strong and brave little lady. We believe she is a fighter and will fight to the end of this journey. When she was suddenly thrust into being a cancer patient, she took each step with grace and curiosity. She always asks doctors and nurses questions so she can understand what’s happening with her care. She may only be six, but she captivates everyone she meets and surprises them with her maturity.
Thank you to each and every one of you that has been thinking of and praying for her. This is just a small bump in her journey of life and one that she will overcome like any other challenge she has endured thus far.
The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free to our families, and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.