For many Wyoming families with school-aged children, September is jam-packed with fall sports and getting as much play time as possible before snow starts to fall. For 9-year-old Emersyn of Buffalo, Wyoming, her 2022 softball and soccer seasons were off to a rocky start when she started feeling a pain in her leg that made it difficult to play the sports she loved.
“What we thought were growing pains quickly turned into our worst nightmare,” said Emersyn’s mom, Caitlyn. After a soccer game that left Emersyn in tears, Caitlyn took her to the doctor for an exam. An MRI revealed a large mass coming off of Emersyn’s spine into her abdomen. The doctor quickly sent the images to Children’s Hospital Colorado and, within an hour, the doctors told Caitlyn to get in the car and start driving Emersyn to Denver.
What followed was a whirlwind of appointments, scans and tests that eventually revealed the news that would change their lives forever. Emersyn had stage four metastatic neuroblastoma and she needed to begin chemotherapy treatments immediately. A few months later, she underwent surgery to remove her tumor, and would later need to undergo tandem stem cell transplants, radiation and immunotherapy to attack the cancer that had spread throughout her body.
Upon learning Emersyn’s diagnosis, Caitlyn and her husband Mike’s lives were turned upside down. The road ahead was a long one, and because Wyoming does not have a pediatric cancer facility, Emersyn’s family faced the daunting reality of leaving their home, 1-year-old daughter Aspen and other responsibilities behind in order to get Emersyn the treatment she needed in Denver.
Luckily, a social worker at Children’s Hospital Colorado connected them to Jason’s Friends Foundation, which quickly sprang into action by helping arrange lodging and providing financial assistance with household bills, travel expenses and other financial stressors. Jason’s Friends stepped in to allow Caitlyn and Mike to focus on what was most important — getting their daughter the treatment and care she needed.
“At times, Mike has to miss work to be with us,” explained Caitlyn. “Because of Jason’s Friends, we know that if he misses some work, it will be OK. He can be here to help us and we won’t have to worry about not making a house payment.”
When Emersyn’s family made that first trip to Denver, they had no idea they would be spending the next two years there for Emersyn’s treatments. Luckily, Jason’s Friends is able to provide families a home away from home through their lodging partnership with Brent’s Place. Emersyn’s family was able to stay in one of Jason’s Friends’ apartments at Brent’s Place instead of bouncing in and out of hotel rooms the last two years.
“We just want to thank Jason’s Friends for being there,” said Caitlyn. “Thank you for helping us and answering the phone every time we called.”
After her first 18 months of treatment, Emersyn relapsed not once, but twice. Her most recent scan in December came back clear, but that doesn’t mean Emersyn is out of the woods. She has at least one more cycle of chemotherapy until she can enter the maintenance phase.
“Throughout it all, Emersyn’s strength has been such an inspiration to everybody around her,” said Caitlyn. “She always has a smile on her face and is making everyone around the hospital laugh.”
Emersyn will soon be turning 12 years old, and despite her strength, humor and upbeat personality, the cancer has taken a toll on her body, making it hard for her to participate in the sports she loved. Even though Emersyn lacks the stamina and endurance she once had, she still participates in swim team when she is home.
“Before her diagnosis, I would sit in the stands at her swim meets and cheer her on to go, go, go,” said Caitlyn. “When she decided to participate in a swim meet in the middle of her treatment, I just stood there and cried because she made it to the end of the pool.”
Bowl for Jason’s Friends
Jason’s Friends Foundation is currently assisting 174 families in Wyoming who have children with cancer, brain tumors or spinal cord tumors. Emersyn’s cancer story is, tragically, just one of them. Every Jason’s Friends family must travel out of state for treatment because of the lack of pediatric cancer care in Wyoming. The financial impact can be devastating. Jason’s Friends steps in to take care of travel expenses (fuel, lodging, airfare, meals), medical deductibles and essential household expenses (house and rent payments, car payments, phone bills, utility bills etc.) so that Wyoming families can travel to be with their sick child as they fight the most difficult battle of their lives.
Since its founding, Jason’s Friends has provided over $8.2 million of financial assistance. But they cannot do it alone. Every year in the spring, they hold their only fundraiser of the year — Bowl for Jason’s Friends.
This year, the 27th annual event will take place on Saturday, March 1 at El Mark-O Lanes in Casper. For the third year, Jason’s Friends will also be hosting a Bowl for Jason’s Friends event in Gillette on Saturday, March 1 from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Camelanes Bowling Center.
Bowlers put together five-person fundraising teams, sign up for a one-hour bowling time slot and collect donations prior to bowling. Each bowler must raise at least $100 to participate and to receive a free T-shirt. There are prizes available for those who bring in the most donations and drawing prize entries for every $100 collected.
Team fundraising packets can be picked up at El Mark-O Lanes and the Jason’s Friends Foundation office at 1701 East E St., Suite 100, or be printed at jasonsfriends.org.
SPONSORED IN KIND BY JASON’S FRIENDS FOUNDATION
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