Our beautiful 13 month old blue eyed baby girl, Nina, was recently diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer in the liver. This diagnosis is understandably unexpected and distressing for our family, however, we are feeling very positive and blessed. Nina’s doctors are very optimistic about her prognosis. They’ve told us this type of cancer responds very well to treatment, “melting away” and not returning. God put it on our hearts that something was off with Nina, and Liz noticed a small bulge in Nina's belly. We sought medical care immediately, which led to an early detection of the cancer and prevented its spread. Nina is surrounded by an incredible medical team at Golisano, including a surgeon who is one of the leading specialists in the world for Hepatoblastoma. Over the next few months she will undergo chemotherapy and surgery. There will be frequent trips to the hospital, some planned and some unexpected, and periods when Nina will be immunocompromised when we will need to be especially careful. Nina's Uncle Rob (Pookie) summed up the mindset we are all holding onto perfectly: “She’s going to be alright. She won’t remember a thing. And we’re just going to have a weird few months.” That is exactly how we are looking at this: a weird, difficult few months, but we are filled with the grace of God and trust in his plan for our lives. Nina has an incredible amount of love surrounding her. She has an amazing family, church family, medical team, and community all cheering her on. Many people have reached out asking how they can support Nina, Liz, and Dom during this time, which is why we created this page. We will use it to share updates and provide simple ways for people to help along the way. Meals will be especially helpful over the coming months. Treatment schedules can change quickly, hospital visits may happen unexpectedly, and day-to-day life will understandably be a little chaotic. Having meals taken care of is one small way we can help Liz and Dom focus their energy where it belongs: being with their baby girl. We are incredibly grateful for all of the love, prayers, encouragement, and support surrounding Nina. We are so fortunate and thankful to the wonderful doctors, nurses, support staff, and all at Golisano. We can feel God's presence in every person who has dedicated their lives to such a difficult but worthy cause.
A few important notes as we support Nina, Liz, and Dom over the next few months: Please do not stop by or plan a visit unless Liz and Dom have specifically said visitors are welcome. There will be days when Nina cannot have visitors at all, and that may change with very little notice depending on her treatment, immune system, and how she is feeling. Because Nina will be immunocompromised during treatment, please do not visit if you are sick, have a cold, have recently been sick, or have any symptoms of illness, even if they seem minor. If you are invited to visit, please plan to wear a mask and wash your hands thoroughly upon arrival. Nina will be immunocompromised during treatment so these precautions are important for helping protect her. Thank you for the thought, but please do not send or bring flowers for Nina. Due to her treatment and compromised immune system, flowers are not permitted. Their schedule may change quickly. They may expect to be home and suddenly need to go to the hospital, or a treatment day may become longer than expected. Because of that, there may be times when a restaurant or food delivery gift card is more helpful than a prepared meal. Most importantly, we want Liz and Dom to be able to focus entirely on Nina without feeling like they need to coordinate meals, visits, gifts, or updates themselves. Please do not reach out to them directly regarding the Give InKind page or ways to help. For any questions, scheduling, meal coordination, gifts, or other support, please contact Danielle at 585-703-8575. Thank you so much for loving and supporting our family while also helping us protect Liz and Dom's time, energy, and Nina’s health.