Armer Foundation For Kids

TO REDUCE FINANCIAL BARRIERS FOR FAMILIES SO THEY CAN CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC OR LIFE-ALTERING DISEASES.

MEET NASH, A 2 YEAR OLD BATTLING HEPATOBLASTOMA. IN APRIL 2022 A LARGE KNOW IN NASHS SIDE WARRENATED A QUICK TRIP TO HIS PEDIATRICIAN AND WAS RECOMMENDED TO GET A X-RAY OR ULTRASOUNDS. HIS CT SCAN SHOWED FOUR LARGE TUMORS AND HIS BLOOD RESULTS PREDICTED CANCER WITHIN HIS LIVER. A LIVER BIOPSY AND MRI CONFIRMED HEPATOBLASTOMA. DURING SURGERY A TUMOR WAS CLOSER TO THE MAIN BLOOD VESSEL THAN EXPECTED AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO REMOVE. THEY HAD TO CLOSE HIS UP WITHOUT COMPLETING THE RESECTION. NASH NEEDED A LIVER TRANSPANT. IN NOVEMBER 2022 NASH RECEIVED A LIVE TRANSPANT AND IS NOW CANCER-FREE. THE STAFF AT PHOENIX CHILDRENS HOSPITAL PRESENTED NASH WITH A STUFFED LIVER TOY AND A CELEBRATORY WALK OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. HE IS NOW AT HOME WITH HIS NEW LIVER AND FAMILY. ARMER FOUNDATION ASSISTED THE FAMILY WITH MEDICAL BILLS AND EXPENSES SO AT LEAST ONE PARENT COULD BE WITH THERE FOR SUPPORT, MEDICAL CARE AND DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS.

MEET RILEY, AN ENERGETIC 11 YEAR OLD BATTLING PERTHES DISEASE - A RARE CHILDHOOD DISEASE AFFECTING THE BLOOD FLOW TO THE FEMORAL HEAD CAUSING TIT TO CRUMBLE AND DIE. IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, SHE ENDURED VARIOUS SURGERIES AND TREATMENT PLANS, SUCH AS CORE DECOMPRESSION WITH BONE MARROW ASPIRATION, HIP DISTRACTION WITH EX-FIXATOR AND PHYSICAL THERAPY TWICE A WEEK. SHE IS STILL IN TREMENDOUS PAIN AND MISSES MULTIPLE SCHOOL DAYS. ULTIMATELY RILEY NEEDS A FULL HIP REPLACEMENT TO ALLEVIATE THE DEBILITATING PAIN SHE ENDURES, BUT BECAUSE OF HER AGE, IT CANNOT HAPPEN UNTIL GROWTH PLATES CLOSE AT AGE 15. RILEYS NEXT STEP IS AN OSTEOTOMY SINCE HER BONE IS GROWING BACK, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO FIT IN HER SOCKET ACCORDING TO HER DOCTORS, AN OSTEOTOMY PROCEDURE WILL DELAY THE NEED FOR A FULL HIP REPLACEMENT UNTIL HER MID TWENTIES. WITH ARMER FOUNDATIONS ASSISTANCE TO THE FAMILY, THEY ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT AND MEDICAL CARE RILEY NEEDS.

MEET JULIE, AT JUST 15 YEARS, JULIA WAS DIAGNOSED WITH EWING SARCOMA AFTER A SIX INCH TUMOR ON HER PELVIS WAS FOUND. AFTER VARIOUS SCANS AND BLOODWORK, HER PHYSICIANS CONCLUDED IT HAD NOT SPREAD BUT WAS LOCALIZED IN HER HIP. SHE LEARNED TREATMENT WOULD CONSIST OF SIX ROUNDS OF CHEMOTHERAPY OVER 3.5 MONTHS AND THEN SURGERY TO REMOVE IT. WITH EACH ROUND OF CHEMOTHERAPHY BEGAN THE GRUELING SIDE EFFECTS, AND AS EACH ROUND ENDED THE TUMOR BEGAN SHRINKING. IT SHRUNK TO 13 OF IT ORIGINAL SIZE AND IS NECROTIC DEAD AND CYSTIC FLUID-FILLED. ON DECEMBER 2, 2022 JULIA UNDERWENT A 14.5 HOUR SURGERY TO REMOVE THE TUMOR THEN ENDURED A DOUBLE-BARREL SURGERY TO STABLIZE HER PELVIS. SHE HAS SIX SCREWS AND ONE PLATE IN HER PELVIS, PLUS ONE SCREW BY HER ANKLE TO STABLIZE IT. JULIA IS CURRENTLY ON THE ONCOLOGY FLOOR OF PHOENIX CHILDRENS HOSPITAL RECOVERING FROM HER GRUELING SURGERY. JULIA WILL BE IN A WHEEL CHAIR FOR THREE MONTH, CRUTCHES FOR ANOTHER THREE MONTHS, THEN A GOOD AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY TO BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN.