A Family’s Journey with Retinoblastoma
Lucas has been diagnosed with a rare form of Retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer, which has left him with two detached retinas and no vision. Currently, Lucas’s family—his parents Jim and Sara, and his brother Liam—are navigating this difficult journey. Lucas’ medical care will involve frequent trips to Oishei Children’s Hospital and Strong Memorial in Rochester, and as you can imagine, this comes with a significant financial burden. Lucas may need one or both of his eyes removed, and further chemotherapy is a possibility.
In addition to the emotional and financial challenges, the situation is especially tough for Lucas’s older brother, Liam, who is on the autism spectrum. Liam thrives on routine, and the sudden changes in his environment and the disruptions to his daily life have been very difficult for him to process. The family is working hard to support him too during this overwhelming time, as he adjusts to Lucas’s care and the changes in their lives.
To make matters even more difficult, Jim has experienced a work-related injury and has unexpectedly been unable to work during this already challenging time and will undergo his own surgery soon. This has added even more strain to the family, as they juggle medical appointments, care for both Lucas and Liam, and now face financial hardship due to the injury and lost income.
They are taking deep breaths now, but just a few weeks ago Lucas ended up in the ICU and things did not look good. Thankfully doing much better now & growing bigger each week as they will be with us for more than a month this time and Lucas siblings coming back and forth to visit with the help of extended family. We all know how heartbreaking it is to watch a child battle cancer, and the family is committed to doing everything they can to provide Lucas with the best quality of life. You simple acts of kindness help make life a little easier for families like the Kemp’s who are not in the position to make donations to us just yet.
Consider a donation to help families like the Kemp’s staying with us
