Ian the Cancer Wrangler

09/05/2026

🦖💛 Take a look at this year’s ImpactLife Donor Rewards bags!! 💛🦖

Featuring original artwork by our very own Cancer Wrangler, Ian! 🥹💙

Pretty amazing seeing Ian’s artwork helping spread the message that blood donors make a DINO-MITE difference! 🩸🦖

Donate blood. Earn points. Grab Ian’s bags. Save lives. 💛🎗️

09/04/2026

💛 Why We Share. 💛

Throughout Ian’s treatment, we received an incredible amount of love and support. People prayed for him, checked on us, followed his updates, donated blood, shared his story and reminded us over and over that we weren’t walking through this alone.

But not every comment was supportive.

I remember being questioned about why we were putting so much of our personal life out there for everyone to read. I was even told that if something this personal happened to them, they wouldn’t share it because they wouldn’t want people to think they were looking for attention or pity.

That one stuck with me.

Because to think that someone could look at everything Ian was going through and believe that was why we were sharing it…

No.

We shared because childhood cancer needs to be seen.

The day before Ian’s diagnosis, we weren’t a cancer family either.

Cancer didn’t care who we were. It doesn't care how much money you have, the color of your skin, where you live or who you voted for. It can change an ordinary family’s life in the blink of an eye.
No parent wants this story.

But since it became part of ours, I choose awareness.

I choose to talk about the treatments Ian endured. The transfusions. The hospital stays. The fear. The victories. The people who helped save his life.

I choose to talk about what happens after treatment, too, because ringing a bell or hearing “no evidence of disease” doesn't magically erase everything a child has been through. There can be side effects and challenges that follow these kids for years, and sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Ian’s story deserves to be told.

Not for attention.

Not for pity.

But because maybe his story makes someone donate blood.

Maybe it makes someone donate to childhood cancer research.

Maybe another cancer mom reads it at 2:00 in the morning from a hospital room and realizes there are people who understand.

Maybe someone learns something they never knew about childhood cancer.

Maybe it simply makes someone stop and pray for these kids.

And maybe sharing what we've learned helps another family feel a little less alone during the worst days of their lives.

So yes, I will continue to share.

I will continue to GO GOLD. 🎗️

Because before this happened to Ian, we weren't a childhood cancer family either.

And none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. 💛

Awareness matters. Their stories matter. These kids matter.

09/02/2026

08/21/2026

Clinic Visit Day!
Ian was excited to see his favorite friends at the clinic today! We were also excited to see Ian's primary pediatric oncologist, Dr. Kumar!! They are always great talks.

Scan Results: No evidence to suggest disease progression = NED!! Woop woop!! 🎉

Dr. Kumar and the radiologist have been keeping an eye on some lesions on his liver this past year. After making some changes to the contrast and looking at everything else, they are confident in saying they are multifocal hepatic lesions (multifocal focal steatosis). Basically, they are small patches of fat scattered throughout the liver, which can happen after intensive cancer treatment. So, it fits with Ian's history.

Going over vaccines: It looks like his catch-up schedule is a tad bit more complicated, so Dr. Kumar is going to talk with an expert team to make sure it's customized for Ian and his treatment roadmap. The sooner we can get it started before sick season, the better!

We will be scheduling our last 3-month scan appointment and then hopefully graduate to a 4-month schedule! ❤️

08/20/2026

3 month scans today. I can't beleive we made it a whole 3 months without making any extra trips here.
PET/CT
CT
MRI
He's such a great patient he gets to do the special CT that kids under 10 aren't allowed to use, but since he's so strong, brave, and a great listener he gets to use it! He also got to listen to an audio book during the scans.
Prayers for great scans, uneventful day, and not extra calls from clinic.
We will have our normal Clinic appointment with his doctor tomorrow.

08/17/2026

📚 1st day of 1st grade for Ian! 💙

We are so happy to be here, watching him reach another milestone. We love seeing him grow both physically and mentally. I love this age because they are like little sponges, soaking up everything around them and learning something new every day.

More than anything, I love watching Ian grow into his own person, discovering who he is outside of the cancer diagnosis and simply getting to be a kid. ❤️

Here’s to a wonderful year of 1st grade! ✏️📚

08/03/2026

One thing I've always been thankful for is how kind people have been to Ian. His classmates, teachers, friends, and so many others have made his journey easier than I ever imagined.

Out of everything he has gone through, I would hate if he becomes a victum to bullying.

Let's teach our kids early to choose kindness, include others, celebrate differences, and cheer each other on. You never know what someone has been through or what battle they're still fighting. A few kind words can make a bigger difference than you may ever know. ❤️

05/28/2026

If everyone can join us in prayer for another amazing warrior, Ava. She is a beautiful girl we've watched from the times we were on the BMT floor at St. Jude. Ian was going through his second BMT at the time. We've been following Ava since she is also from Central Illinois. She has been such a fighter and beautiful through it all.

Recently there seems to be a decline in her health and breathing. It just reminds me so much of Mighty Miller, who was close to Ava during their time together at St. Jude.

2.5 years ago these amazing kids beat cancer, but the last step in their treatment protocol is a BMT. It's just so unfair. The word CANCER is overwhelming, but the part rarely talked about is how hard surviving treatment can be.

Please if everyone can say a prayer for Ava and her family. Please lord, give Ava everything she needs at this time of her life. Please surround her with the people she loves and making memories that will last forever.

Time.
It’s free, but it’s priceless. You think you have an infinite amount of it. It can be a thief, but it’s also a gift. You waste it. It moves too fast or it can feel like it’s not moving at all. In the end, all you do is wish that you just had more of it.

Yesterday’s procedure failed to give us the results we had hoped for.
We have decided to go home. To spend our time together as a family, and help comfort and ease Ava from this earthly life into the next one. Where she will be surrounded by family and everyone who loves and adores her.
We invite everyone to visit once we get home to celebrate her and her courageous fight.
We love you AvaStrong!

05/27/2026

💚 A little reality check from the childhood cancer world… 💚

Over the past few months, I’ve been noticing more and more posts about platelet shortages and now it’s becoming something cancer families are feeling every single day.

What breaks my heart is hearing families say their child is only receiving ½… sometimes even ¼… of the platelets they would normally get because supply is so limited. That can mean going back to the hospital 2–3 times a week instead of once. That's more pokes, more time away from home, more interruptions to treatment and trying to just be a kid.

I came across this picture when Ian was receiving platelets and noticed the little green ❤️ “Thank a Donor” heart on the bag. I don’t think I fully appreciated it in that moment… but someone took time out of their day to donate and helped carry Ian through treatment.

Even now, Ian has low platelets and RBS counts from the intense Bone Marrow Transplants Ian received 2.5 years ago.

So if you’ve ever wondered if donating matters… it does. More than you know. ❤️ This is coming from places where families may never receive a bill and generous donations help make care possible, but blood products are different. No amount of money can replace a blood or platelet donation when supply runs low. They still have to come from someone willing to donate, and for many kids, that can truly make all the difference.

Please, if you’re able, consider finding a place near you to donate platelets. Your donation could help a local child keep moving forward with treatment… and give families one less thing to worry about. 💚🎗️

Give Platelets | ImpactLife https://share.google/CevzAaFwFnsCpJsMO

Many lifesaving medical treatments require platelet transfusions. Learn more about donating platelets at ImpactLife.

05/21/2026

Update** (look at me doing an update after scans).
Had a great Clinic visit after Ian’s scan today. All of the results were back in time too, so we could talk about them. That never happens.
Overall Ian's health update from scans:
✔️Chest shows some irritation, but that is common in scans for those who have been put under anesthesia a lot. We commonly see this.
✔️Liver lesions: overall common with all that Ian has been through. No new lesions detected other than what has been found in his previous scans. Not effecting his liver functions or any other issues.
✔️ Natera blood drawn to send for solid mass tumor early detection study. If they couldn't complete the test (like last time), it's on them, not us cause they were able to get big beautiful collections from his IV.
✔️Ian’s RBC and Platelets are still abnormally low, but thats common after treatment plus the fact that Ian's 3x BMTs are still trying to catch up, even after 2 years ago. He's still in his "normal range" and at least not going down, just very slightly up.
✔️unexpected good news: So ever since OSF upgraded the MRI imaging, they've always commented on tumor tissue left over by his iliac vessels. We really haven't been following that, except that it's there, hasn't grown, and no uptake. It reads like this:
"Peritoneum/retroperitoneum: Partially cystic lesion adjacent to the right common iliac vessels demonstrating an internal fluid fluid level is slightly decreased in size from prior. It measures 1.5 x 0.9 x 1.8 cm (3/35, 4/19), previously 1.9 x 1.2 x 1.8 cm 1.8 x 1.2 x 1.1 cm. This lesion does not exhibit restricted diffusion or enhancement. Small volume pelvic free fluid." So the fact that it has actually gotten smaller in the last 3 months is pretty cool.

Plus just had an amazing talked with Ian's Primary Oncologist who was in clinic today. Once again went over everything: scans, looking ahead, and also we are halfway through his first year of scans after treatment. Plus I got to thank her again for everything she has done for Ian and our family. I felt terrible I didn't talk with her at the bell ringing celebration. Tears were shed, sometimes the emotions just hit you when you least expect it.

*****************************

MRI scans today with sedation. PET/CT a few weeks ago went well and nothing too concerning showed up.

Going to clinic later today, hopfully to go over scans if they are done in time.

He seems to have these spots show up in his liver, but apparently they aren't concerning. It will be interesting to see if they ever get big enough or enough spots to be concerned with his liver activity. I wounder if it's from all the trauma his liver went through treatment and filtering out so many things like dead tumor tissue, fluid from all the ascites, and then chemo/rescue meds.

I'll try to update everyone if we get to talk to the Dr with scan results being back. Or if we go on like normal: no news is good news.

We have clinic at 2pm today 🥴 so we are trying to stay busy in the cafeteria with work books. By this pace, Ian will be done with all 3 by noon. Send help....lol