- Hi, I'm Lisa Currall better known as Grammi. My husband Ed, Papa and I have a handsome, wonderful, brave Grandson, now 3 yr old Austin Levi. He belongs to a beautiful, faithful, crazy, affectionate family of 6 children who belong to Michael and Bridget Currall.
- It all began when we got a call a couple days before this last Christmas that the pediatrician had found a large lump in 2 yr old Austin's belly. Off they went for scans and (leaving many details out for time)....... he had a softball size malignant tumor in his kidney, another softball size one in his lung and many others in both lungs. It was cancer. It's called Wilm's Tumor or Nephroblastoma. The primary cancer is the kidney (nephro) and it metastasized to his lungs. They went straight from the scans and physicians office in Idaho Falls ID down to Salt Lake City UT 3 hours away to be admitted to Primary Children's Hospital. They didn't even get to say good-bye in person to the children waiting at a friends' home. It was incredibly hard. Did I mention they had a nursing baby, Sarah at the time? The 4 of them got down there and were thrown into the deep end of the medical world with all new language, all new people, new city, etc.
- The oncologists decided to remove Austin's whole kidney because the tumor was so large. That happened right away. Radiation began immediately on the abdomen around that area to get any rogue cells.
- Almost immediately after that Mom and Sarah had to leave because along with Austin's lungs being full of tumors, he got RSV and got very sick very quickly. He ended up in the PICU and on a ventilator and Mama & Sarah weren't allowed in. That was rough on everyone. Mike and Bridget are a team and this was the worst scenario for them. Bridget and Mike also got sick :( partly because they are used to Bridget's amazing cooking with no fake foods, sugars, etc. and because of RSV. They weren't used to the foods there and zero sleep. The goodbye's were rough.
- Sweet little Austin slept through this time frame on the vent. After the rounds of radiation on his abdomen, he would receive radiation on his lungs then chemo would start after he recovered from RSV. HOWEVER.......
- We got a call one evening from Michael that Austin was bleeding internally and it was showing up in his diaper in copious amounts. They were pumping blood in but it was coming right back out. The staff were worried not knowing why so much blood loss was occurring. Mike was so tired, hadn't slept or eaten in days just sitting and watching Austin, watching nurses and what they were giving him through so many tubes and relaying all of this home to Bridget. When he called us he was just deadly quiet, and said, " He's bleeding everywhere, they brought in a team now, they're running around the room like ants and I'm covered in blood and his little blonde hair because it's started to fall out."
- Well, you can imagine his Dad and I, 2 states away. I was on a plane 3 hours later. Our son looked so bad. The hospital was taking care of sweet Austin, sick Bridget was caring for all the sick kids at home.
They finally stabilized Austin but it took a couple weeks to figure it all out.
(The family on both sides from WA have tag teamed back and forth for Christmas, Easter, week long Chemo treatments, breaks for Mama at home and Daddy at the hospital. )
Mike could finally go sleep after they stabilized his baby. Mike and Austin have a special bond. This cancer business has been their journey when in the hospital at the beginning. 2 MONTHS Michael was there sleeping by Austin's bed. Mike, 6'3" in those chairs!!! Bridget's family also came and helped her recover and had fun with the kids, shopped, cooked, etc.
Austin finally started chemo. and nausea & vomiting were constant companions. Even while on a ventilator ( 5 or 6 different times I believe) if they brought him up from sleep he was amazing in his behavior. Not once when I was there for 2 weeks in ICU did he try and pull out the breathing tube or get mad. There were the tubes in both nostrils.....now those are another story....YANK :) I'll put the pictures up here of him playing trains with the vent in. He of course got sad and tired etc. But when he was happy the nurses would bring other staff in to watch him and he'd wave and show them his trains and pictures!!
I know things are out of order when family reads this but we all know how much has happened in this craziness since Dec. So many people have done so much. Mike and Bridget's friends from church were absolutely amazing when Mary and I stayed there. I mean like a LIST of them. They brought some wonderful meals and a turkey for Christmas Day. They are loved.
The reason the GoFundMe is back up, is Michael's workplace was great. His boss kept his job for him all these months and kept his benefits!! However, of course other workers climbed ahead and Mike lost his seniority. When he calls in all the work has been covered. He has put applications all over with zero call backs. There was one for the city but because Austin is still sick, there are some more chemo trips to Salt Lake and Mike was honest about that, they wanted to hire him but couldn't. Mike and Bridget are just in an interim financial place. Austin is doing better. He's towards the end of chemotherapy, still has tumors but the oncologists are hoping they'll continue to shrink. After the last chemo. there will be more scans to check progress, wait 3 more months for more scans to see if they've gone away. He's been on a feeding tube for 8 months and is still on it. He's eating a bit more now but the doctor said because he got cancer so young he's not interested and has sort of forgotten how or why to eat.
Driving down to SLC and back is very expensive. If they have to stay it's crazy expensive if there's no room at Ronald McDonald House (and that's frequently).
Mike and Bridget will surely remember so many details they can help me out more on here. When I think about it they come flooding back. They have had great faith in God throughout all of this. They've grown in so many ways in so many virtues. We are so very proud of them. They constantly do family things that don't cost much, if anything. They are outdoorsy which is so good for the family.
Please, if you feel compelled, consider donating. If you tithe, consider donating. If you know children who like to help other children, consider donating. If you feel called please pray, pray, pray! It would be lovely to get life back to what many of us call normal.
Thank you ahead of time and many blessings on you ~
Austin Currall Caringbridge
