UPDATE!

Castiel’s Fight Continues: Our Next Step to Keep Cancer Away

Castiel is 21 months old.

At just 7 and a half months old, my little boy was diagnosed with Stage 4 High-Risk Neuroblastoma with MYCN amplification — one of the most aggressive forms of childhood cancer, with a high likelihood of returning even after treatment.

In the months that followed, my baby endured more than most adults could imagine:

• 5 rounds of chemotherapy
• Surgery to remove the primary tumor from his abdomen
• 2 stem cell transplants
• 60 sessions of radiation
• A full immunotherapy protocol — completing his final cycle this June

Castiel has been in treatment for over a year, fighting for his right to live. He has spent more of his life in a hospital than out of one.

And he has fought every single day.

What Comes Next — A Vaccine That Could Help Protect Him

There is a clinical trial currently underway at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City that his doctors believe he should pursue. MSK is one of the top cancer hospitals in the world.

The Phase 2 trial involves a bivalent neuroblastoma vaccine — the only pediatric cancer vaccine of its kind in existence. It works by teaching the immune system to recognize and destroy neuroblastoma cells before the cancer has a chance to come back.

This vaccine was developed specifically for children like Castiel — children with high-risk neuroblastoma and MYCN amplification, where the risk of relapse remains extremely high even after completing the full treatment protocol.

Based on his diagnosis and treatment history, Castiel appears to meet the eligibility requirements for this trial. But before he can be officially accepted, MSK needs to evaluate him in person, with a full series of medical consultations and exams at their facility in New York City.

That process is already beginning. And it is already costing money.

Why We Need Help Now

A clinical trial is a scientific research study conducted with real patients to test whether a new treatment is safe and effective. Because this trial is still in the research phase, it is not covered by insurance.

If Castiel is accepted, MSK will provide the vaccine and the oral medication at no cost as part of the study. But that is where the coverage ends.

Everything else is 100% out of pocket:

• Medical consultations at MSK — starting now, before the first injection
• Blood work throughout the trial
• Scans under anesthesia — required before and throughout treatment
• Hospital admissions
• Travel from New Hampshire to New York City for every visit
• Lodging and meals during each stay
• Follow-up appointments and exams continuing for years after the injections are complete

This is not a short commitment. The full process — from evaluation through post-treatment follow-up — spans 3 or more years.

We are still in debt from his prior treatments, and our life savings are gone.

While we look ahead, we are still paying medical bills from over a year of treatment — costs that insurance did not cover. We have gone through our savings. I still cannot work because of the time commitment required for Castiel’s treatment.

We are not asking for sympathy. We are asking for help to keep moving forward.

Every Day Matters

For a child with Castiel’s diagnosis, staying ahead of this cancer cannot wait. This vaccine is not a last resort — it is a chance to protect him before the cancer has the opportunity to return.

If you can donate, please donate. If you cannot, please share. Every dollar brings Castiel one step closer to a future where his own body knows how to fight — even when we are not there watching.

He has already shown us what he is made of.

Now we need to show him what we are made of.

Thank you for never giving up on our boy and for continuing to stand beside our family.

Right now, Michael and I are just trying to keep everything moving.

We’re figuring out how to show up for work while also learning how to navigate life as a family of five. We’re caring for our baby Lunara, supporting Castiel through his treatment and nonstop appointments, and making sure our older son, Niccolas, doesn’t get lost in the middle of it all. None of this is simple, and none of it is happening one piece at a time. It’s all happening at once.

Castiel is currently going through a lot of testing, including biopsies, scans, and blood work. Some appointments take hours, and some results take days. Every test feels heavy because it helps determine what comes next, and the waiting is incredibly difficult. This in-between space is stressful, exhausting, and emotionally overwhelming.

Some days are about survival more than strength. About getting through the next appointment, the next phone call, and the next night. We’re doing our best to hold our family together while living with a level of uncertainty that never really turns off.

Thank you for continuing to show up for our family. Your prayers, messages, and support mean more to us than you know. We are carrying a lot right now, but knowing we don’t have to carry it alone means everything.