Every person goes through their own battle. Redden was born into his.
Redden Leo was born on December 18th, 2014, at 9 pounds 5 ounces. Our chunkiest baby and little brother to 2 older boys. We were thrilled to finally meet him and spent the next month in absolute bliss. We bragged to everyone that would listen that he was the easiest baby. Our oldest boys were so enthralled with him and just wanted to be around him constantly. We couldn't believe how amazing the transition to 3 kids was.
When he was born he had several small pea-sized nodules on his body. We felt them right after he was born, and were assured they were likely cysts and not concerning.
Christmas Day - he was 1 week old. This is the only picture I have of the 5 of us to date.
3.5 weeks later I was changing him and snapped a picture of him stretching out and showing his fantastically round belly, and sent to my family stating 'Mom! Start putting me in clothes that fit!'
Right after I sent the picture I noticed that one of the nodules right above his belly button was very noticeable in the picture. Up until that moment you couldn't SEE them, only FEEL them. I then started to inspect the others (he had approximately 10), and found that several were substantially larger. More frightening still, I found ones that I hadn't seen before, and suspected were brand new. I called Brian immediately and we went in to the Pediatrician to get them evaluated. Something just didn't feel right to me.
So, in we went. As soon as he saw them we noticed he got rather quiet and solemn. Emotions we had never seen from him before (and our oldest had run fevers of 105 on several occasions, and our middle child had to have emergency surgery for an intussusception!) He urged us to go into the ER to get a scan to see what we were dealing with in the cysts, as he found it concerning that they were increasing in size and number. We put the boys in school the next morning and went in, anticipating an ultrasound that would show something that was random, and not a big deal.
We noticed that each person that met with us would quickly elevate our case to the head of the department. There was a lot of concern over the nodules, and that didn't give us any calm. An ultrasound finally showed us something truly horrible... the nodules were the least of our concern, and our perfect little Chunkins had a massive tumor taking over almost half of his abdominal cavity, and metastisizing in his liver.
Shock, horror, anger, fear. All of it. We were distraught as they said we needed to check into the hospital for further tests and we found ourselves suddenly in the Children's Cancer Wing. That was January 17th. We met with specialists all night who kept tiptoeing around the word, whispering it almost.
The next day's biopsy and MRI confirmed it.
Neuroblastoma. CANCER.
There was something strangely comforting about the diagnosis. The moment when you finally have a definition, and know how to move forward. But as soon as we felt that moment of assurance, it was shattered as we acknowledged and grieved that our baby, our brand new, perfect infant, had cancer. That diagnosis came on his one month birthday.
This website is his journey from that point forward. The story of fighting... and overcoming. We prayed over and over again as he went into each test... 'God hold Redden in your hands, and then please give him back to us.'
Thank you for walking with us on this journey. Thank you for loving our little warrior.
Love ~ Brian and Beri