The beginning...

Early to mid August 2010 on a warm summer evening me, Shawn, Devaun, Peyton and Kaden were having fun jumping on the trampoline, doing flips, laughing and having a good time. It was later that evening when Devaun had said he felt a little pain in his side. It seemed to be a side ache or muscle strain from the crazy tricks he was doing. We kept an eye on it but didnt notice it getting any worse. Late August 2010 we took the boys to Panguitch lake to go fishing and camping. The fishing was slow that weekend and only one of us had caught a fish, it was Devaun. The day after Devaun had caught the fish he said his side was hurting so I gave him a couple Tylenol for the pain and that seemed to help. We still though this was an injury from the trampoline. We fed a horse named "Henry", fished, camped and relaxed, it was fun times. The next day, on a Monday, Devaun was still feeling a little pain or side ache. We decided to take him to the instacare. The doctors thought it was either a muscle strain or appendix. They did a urinalysis and an xray. Something must have shown up on the xray because they wanted to do an ultrasound at the Salt Lake Clinic. Later that same day we went in to get the ultrasound done and had to wait for our family doctor to go over the xray. This was one of the longest days of my life, just waiting and waiting for the doctor to call back on the results of the ultrasound. So by about 5 pm or so, he calls me and tells me that there is a mass that showed up around the liver. As soon as I heard those words, I just broke down and cried. Flashbacks of what my dad had gone through when he had lost his life to liver cancer went through my head. And now I have a doctor telling me that my 9 year old son has a growth or mass in his liver. We then had scheduled to do a biopsy of the liver to determine what the mass was. The earliest we could get in to do the biopsy wasnt for another week.

September 9,2010, we had taken Devaun to see Dr. Eric Scaiffe to perform the biopsy of the liver. What he found was that the mass was cancer and there was also calcification on the other side of his abdomen. When they told me the news at first, all I could do was leave the room we were in and cry in the hall. The worst thing a parent can ever hear. They first had thought that it was Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Cancer of the liver). Which is extremely rare in children with a very grim prognosis. They immediately admitted Devaun to Primary Childrens Hospital. After his biopsy, we saw his incision, it had gone from one side of his abdomen to the other. During the next couple weeks was a waiting game for the pathology results to come back on the biopsy. His incisions were healing very well without any problems. We met with the oncologists, Dr. Afify and Dr. Sato, awesome doctors and so caring through every step of the way, we discussed treatment options and they felt it was a battle worth fighting. The plan was to start chemotherapy and after a few rounds of treatment, if the tumor has gotten small enough, that they would be able to surgically remove the tumor.

It was time to start his first round of chemo. Devaun did great. He didnt get sick after the chemo. He was sitting up watching a movie and was also eating during the treatment. We were optimistic at this time that he is making it through the first one. A few weeks had gone by and he is still feeling really good and still eating, playing video games, teasing his brother Kaden and still acting like our little Devaun. In total he had spent over a month in the hospital. He was starting to get sick of being in a little room all day and not being able to do as much. We had to wait til they were able to get his vitals and stuff back to normal so he could come home. Being at the hospital for that long was getting really hard for him. He wanted to be home. Although the people and staff at Primary Childrens Hospital were all wonderful and do so much for the kids, I am sure they would want to go home where they feel more comfortable.

Middle of October, we get the good news that Devaun will be able to come home. We were all exstatic! My sister stayed at the hospital with Devaun to get him ready to come home. I ran to my car and drove as fast as I could to clean and sanitize my entire house, because the chemotherapy takes its toll on the immune system. So yes, by the time I was done, I was sweating, fingers hurting and just dirty from all of the cleaning, but it was so worth it to get my baby back home and safe. By about 3:30 pm Devaun, Luv and my mom were home. First thing Devaun does, is plop on the couch and turns on the PS3 and plays Call of Duty. My little boy is finally comfortable and able to relax.

Luckily he was able to go trick or treating with his brothers. He dressed up as a skeleton with a bleeding rib cage, Peyton was Jason from the Friday the 13th movies and Kaden was a scary Vampire. Towards the end of the evening he was getting tired so we finished trick or treating by pulling him in a wagon. They were able to get tons of candy.

About a week later, he had to go back to the hospital for a few days for his second round of chemotherapy. This time was a little different. He got a little nauseous and it seemed a little harder on him. But he made it through.

Once a week we would have to go back to the hospital to do CT Scans and blood work to see how the cancer was responding to the chemo. After about the 3rd week is when we found out the blood work came back looking really good. There is a chemical that the cancer produces and the numbers in the blood work were dropping significantly. When the CT scan came back, the tumor had almost doubled in size and had spread to his lungs, spleen and lymph nodes. We then talked to the radiologist and he said that there was nothing on his part that he could do. They were hoping that they would be able to go through one of the main veins to the liver and administer the chemo directly to the tumor. Unfortunately, the tumor in the liver had blocked off one of the other main veins and that side of the liver was dying off and the only blood the liver was getting was through the only vein left. So that procedure had to be ruled out. It seemed like the doctors were stumped and didnt know what else to do in such a rare case. Some other pathology had come back from Texas and California. The final diagnosis of Devauns cancer is now Mixed Acinar Hepatic Carcinoma (cancer of the pancreas and the liver). We are now told that we need to focus on Devaun and giving him the best right now. I am devistated to hear this news as well as the family.

Devaun had wished to go to Disneyland and Legoland with his whole family. Thankfully Make a Wish Foundation was able to get me, Luv, Devaun, Peyton and Kaden fully paid. That was part of his wish, another part was to get the rest of the family there as well.
I had contacted Sunrise Elementary and let them know about everything. Being such a wonderful school and getting the word out to the staff, students, parents and others. It was great. Also my employer EMIHealth had put together a bake sale to help raise money to get our family to Disneyland as well. My wonderful friend Andi Ulfich had put together a fundraiser with fun games, food, raffles etc., From Crumbs to Cakes had donated a $1.00 for every cake or cupcakes sold for Devaun. People had donated through Devauns Chase bank account and also through Paypal. There are absolutely no words that can express how much this all meant to us and how people come together in times of need.
We were all able to go to Disneyland!

Thursday November 18, 2010 we all met at the Salt Lake International airport, got checked in and ready to get on the flight. Devaun was sitting next to Luv, Kaden was with me, Peyton was with Shawn, my brothers and mom spread all throughout the plane. The flight seemed normal until just after we started our decent. Realizing that we werent landing, the flight attendant comes on the mic and tells us to prepare for an "emergency landing". Seriously??? My heart dropped and I was scared for my kids and my family. I had a million things going through my mind... This cant be happening... where are all my boys?... where's my family?... are we going to die like this?
The flight attendant comes back on the mic and says everyone put your head down and hold onto your ankles. I can feel that we are getting closer and closer to the ground. The flight attendant yelling "Put your head down, stay down, stay down, brace yourself, brace yourself".
Some of us heard the pilot faintly say "pray, pray, pray" but others heard "brace, brace, brace". Either way, we were freaking out.

Megan (Sundone's girlfriend) was crying and worried she wouldn't be able to tell her son Dominic that she loved him, so I told her to just yell it to him and he would hear her. So she yelled it out across the plane. Yes Dominic heard his mother telling him that she loved him.

I had my arm around Kadens head trying to protect it as I had my forearm held out in front of me to protect my head and all I could do for the rest is just pray that they would all be safe.
We landed on the runway, luckily the pilot had used the brakes to steer us off the runway veering a little to the left. We finally stop and all I see are emergency vehicles coming our way. I was thinking maybe we were going to catch on fire or something. But it was just protocol. What ended up happening was that the steering on the front of the plane had gone out. After we landed safely, we had to be tugged to the gate. That was the most terrifying flight I have ever taken and everyone was shaken from that event.

We make it to our hotel at the Sheraton. Got 2 adjoining rooms. It was fun for us all. That day we relaxed and rested to get ready for our big day in Disneyland.
Got up and was at Disneyland at about 9am. All of us were there Me, Shawn (my boyfriend), Luv (my sister), Sundone (youngest brother), Megan (Sundone's girlfriend), Sone (my brother), Mikki (Sones girlfriend), then the kids Devaun, Peyton (oldest of the 3 boys), Kaden (youngest) and Dominic (Megans son). We have family from California as well that met us up at Disneyland. So we had about 15 or so people with us in our group. It was crazy! The weather was a little cool but not raining. So it was good. We went on most all of the major rides, the kids loved it! We would watch Devaun and he always had a smile on his face while he was riding and when got off the rides. Although he wasn't feeling 100% he was still having fun.

At the beginning of the next day we went out to eat at Captain Kidds all you can eat buffet. The food was the most disgusting thing any of has had eaten. The boys didn't even eat the food. This was the second time on the trip that all of us almost lost our lives.(sarcasm). The food was seriously that bad.

On Sunday, we went to Legoland, about a 45 minute drive from where we were at. It was interesting, mostly water rides that were closed because it was raining but they still had some other rides open. We were able to ride on most of those rides. Saw some really interesting mini lands made of legos of the Daytona Speedway, San Francisco, Washington DC,New York City...
Left Legoland pretty early as well cause Devaun was getting really tired and not feeling well.

Monday, we went shopping at Downtown Disney. I would have to admit we did spoil the boys. They got what they wanted. Thankfully they are not needy little boys.

By 6pm we got on our flight back home. Everyone was a little nervous from the flight there, but we all made it safe and sound and came home to snow. Yuck! We all made it home and everyone crashed.

Devaun's condition since we have gotten back from the trip has worsened. He is a little jaundice, vision is blurry, retaining a lot of fluid all over and has been in more pain. Thankfully hospice has switched his pain meds and he is doing a lot better with those. He is still eating and drinking and has a good appetite.
Still teases his brothers, talks my ear off (I love it), his little personality is still shining.