Ezra was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma on October 4th, 2009 at the age of 13 months. On October 6th we found out we were pregnant again. After weeks in the hospital and an initial round of chemo, in early November we were able to do our first ultrasound and already see Robyn was pregnant with twins. As the months progressed, Ezra went through 6 rounds of chemo, various treatments, and moving towards having the main tumor (above his left kidney) removed.

On March 1st, Robyn and I went to her dr for her scheduled pregnancy checkup, and the dr told us she was 1-2 cm dilated. Her due date was July 21st - this was nearly 4 months early. We took Robyn straight to the hospital where she was on bed rest for 2 weeks, but those babies weren't waiting in there, and on March 15th, at 26 weeks (3 1/2 months early) our twins Price and Charley were born. Price was 1lb 13oz, and Charley was 1lb 15oz. They both had multiple heavy complications, including level 4 bleeds in the brain, and on March 22nd, the twins' 1 week birthday, God took Price back from us.

Charley was still critical, and many of the same issues as Price. He was rushed to All Children's hospital in St Pete, who had better drs to handle the brain trauma. He received multiple surgeries, including having a shunt put in his brain, then removed as it wasn't working correct, a new shunt put in, then another surgery to move that shunt. It's now working great and will remain with him for life. He also had heart surgery to fix a murmur, which went well.

Talk about a whirlwind of emotions. 2 weeks after Price died, on April Fools Day, 2010, Ezra had his neuroblastoma tumor successfully removed. His left kidney was fully involved with the tumor, and was also removed. He recovered well, and we spent the entire month of June living in a hospital for stem cell transplant for Ezra - in an isolated, HEPA filtered room. Charley was in the same hospital (and still is), only 1 floor away, so we were able to visit him often, although Ezra wasn't allowed to leave the room the entire 30 days.

Coming to the present, we're just finishing up 20 days of radiation for Ezra, and have 5-6 months left of treatment, which will consist of 1 week in the hospital, 3 weeks at home, 5-6 times. Ezra is responding extremely well to all the treatment, and already has no evidence of disease. Neuroblastoma has a very high rate of reoccurrence (40-45% of neuroblastoma patients get some form of cancer again), so we are doing all this after care to attempt to eradicate any undetectable disease left. Charley is great - his 5 month birthday (only 1 1/2 months after his due date though) will be Friday, and he is nearly 11 lb now. He is nearly off oxygen, and learning to take a bottle. Once either of those is complete, we will be able to take him home. Things seem to be on an upswing, but there's a long road ahead of us. Charley doesn't show any signs of mental issues yet - which is a possible side effect of the early brain trauma. 50% of these patients have no side effects though - and we won't know for sure until he's a year or two old, and has had a chance to show off his development more.

We are hopeful.

You can comment and get all the updates on him at his CarePage (click the link below). You DO have to sign up for an account, but it will email you updates as we post them once you do as well.

Ezra's CarePage

Ezra 7:9 "...for the gracious hand of his God was on him."

We appreciate all your prayers.