Goal:
USD $20,000
Raised:
USD $17,815
Campaign funds will be received by Sarah Pylant
Hello, my name is Erica and I have created this campaign on behalf of my sister, Sarah, my sweet niece, Eviana, and their family.
EVIANA’S STORY
As a one year old, Eviana is now on the second fight of her life against neuroblastoma. Following her first battle and victory during the first couple months of her life, our hope and prayer remained that this was a one-time occurrence, and she would be able to live a long, healthy life without another treatment. While we knew this outcome was always possible, the realization of our fears has left the entire family with heavy, shattered hearts.
Due to a rare genetic mutation combined with this aggressive form of cancer, this malignancy has metastasized throughout Eviana’s delicate body. Within the last 30 days, she has gone through countless labs, an MRI, her first round of chemotherapy, multiple hospitalizations, the traumatic placement of a nasogastric tube, countless doctor’s appointments, and anesthetization for surgery to undergo bone marrow and tumor biopsy along with the insertion of a central line catheter. Heartbreakingly, this is only the beginning of my niece’s treatment plan.
WHY EVIANA NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
Eviana has completed one out of the seven planned chemotherapy cycles. Unfortunately, the second treatment must be completed in Seattle. With that said, this round of therapy may last anywhere from four weeks to an indeterminate amount of time. This timeframe is solely dependent on how Eviana's little body reacts to the medications and if her doctors deem her capable to safely travel back to Alaska for the third course of chemo. The remaining phases of her care plan will be held alternately in Alaska and/or Seattle, depending on her reaction to these harsh but necessary treatments.
Sarah and Cadden have three additional children under their roof to love and provide for. Since Eviana’s cancer relapse, this family’s world has once again been upended. Due to the nature and unpredictability of her cancer, my sister has limited knowledge of where she and Eviana will live during the next several weeks, possibly months.
Eviana has a long battle ahead of her. Their family will have to be separated at times due to the financial repercussions of traveling to Seattle and the potential indefinite time that may be spent there. Meals, transportation, flights, and housing will absolutely be needed. With Sarah and Eviana’s multiple upcoming stays in Seattle, they’re hoping to be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House and to purchase a vehicle so walking to the Children’s hospital won’t be yet another variable in this difficult scenario. Tragically, one of the inevitable consequences of chemotherapy is neutropenia. This means that Eviana’s white blood cell count is almost entirely gone, resulting in an immunocompromised state that results in an inability for her immune system to defend itself against infections. This makes public transportation exceptionally dangerous and not realistically feasible.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Any funds you can donate, big or small, will make a tremendous impact. If you are unable to financially contribute, simply sharing Eviana’s story and this campaign would mean the world to us. Additionally, your thoughts and prayers are so significant and powerful. Our whole family is incredibly grateful for any support and we deeply appreciate your part in Eviana’s life story. If you want to stay up to date on any changes or just want to see my niece’s adorable smile, you can follow her instagram at @evianas.journey.
Thank you for being an integral part of Eviana’s journey!
All the love in the world to you brother. I’m so sorry your family is going through this.
We continue to keep Eviana, her family and extended family in our daily prayers and devotions. God is so good!
Praying for you!
Praying for all of you.
"Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'” - John 20:29
Sending lots of prayers and hugs to Eviana and all the family.
Sending love - and prayers for strength and encouragement for you all. Trusting God for healing.
Proverbs 3:3-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. We love you and are praying for Eviana full recovery.
Keeping you all in our thoughts.
Praying for your whole family and especially Eviana!
God bless you on this rough journey. You’re in my thoughts and prayers. I don’t know you, but my heart goes out to you.
Isaiah 58:8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Praying for all of you!
Praying for Eviana and the whole Pylant family🙏
Lots of love, hugs and prayers for your sweet family!
December 7th, 2024
Eviana’s stem cell retrieval went well today with no complications 🙌🏻💛 Eviana slept through a good portion of the apheresis procedure and was able to relax with Nana for the rest.
Today was definitely one of the days when it hits just how sick she is and how extreme her treatment plan is. Some grieving took place and tears were shed. She is such a trooper though and there’s so much joy that she brings to everyone with her laughs and smiles 💛
We should know soon if they were able to collect enough and if not she’ll have another procedure tomorrow. She will likely need some blood products over night or early tomorrow in order for her to be discharged. However… it looks like we’ll be able to fly home on Saturday 🥳
Thank you for all the prayers 💛
December 7th, 2024
Eviana had imaging done this morning which showed that the typhlitis has resolved 🎉 today marked the last day of antibiotics and her being NPO. We get to begin slowly introducing food again tomorrow. Once she is tolerating feeds at half rate she can be discharged and we can fly home!
The stem cell retrieval was pushed to Thursday, so tomorrow will be prepping her for that. She will receive any of the blood products she needs to be ready for the procedure throughout the day tomorrow.
The plan is that she will be admitted on Thursday the 12th at Providence to do her three days of inpatient chemotherapy for cycle three. We are hoping that there are no further complications or side effects that hit her next cycle.
Here are a few sweet moments 💛☺️
December 2nd, 2024
Our sweet girl is powering through yet another hospital stay 💛
She had repeat imaging done Thursday morning and the team said that the pneumatosis doesn’t look like it worsened over the first 24 hours. Which is great news! Thankfully, we caught the condition early before too much damage had occurred. The antibiotics, strict NPO, and fluids + TPN seem to be doing the job of helping her body heal. Eviana will have another set of imaging done on the morning of the 7th to determine the next steps for treatment, or if any more treatment is necessary. So far there is no need for surgery 🙌🏻 God is good!
The first couple days of Eviana’s admission were really hard. It took us a bit to get on top of her pain levels to allow her to rest and recover. We seemed to hit a turning point last night though and she has been much happier and able to sleep without pain management today. She is such a trooper and smiles through most aspects of her day.
Eviana’s ANC has been coming up very slowly again, cycle two of chemotherapy was no easier on her body than cycle one. Yesterday (day 12 of cycle two) her ANC was 11, today it was 31, and we should have results in the morning again. They will check the stem cell counts in her blood tomorrow and we will meet with the transplant team to determine if her stem cell retrieval can happen Tuesday as planned or if it will need to be pushed back a day or two.
On a much happier note! Nana and Pops flew down from Alaska this morning 🥳 Eviana and I have already loved having them here and are beyond grateful that they made the trip down. Something about having your parents around during hard times is really special and makes it much more manageable 💛
Thank you again to everyone who has continued to pray and provide support 💛
November 28th, 2024
Eviana has been officially diagnosed with neutropenic typhlitis. She will be admitted for a minimum of seven days receiving two broad spectrum antibiotics, continuous fluids, and will start TPN tonight. With the diagnosis she won’t be allowed to eat or drink anything orally for the seven-day treatment cycle. She is scheduled for another scan tomorrow morning and then will have another at the end of the week.
November 28th, 2024
Eviana’s nasal swab and labs came back showing no sign of virus or infection. After imaging of her abdomen, they found that she has pneumatosis - air between the layers of her intestinal wall. The plan for treatment is antibiotics, fluids, and “bowel rest” - no oral intake at all. She will have repeat scans within the next 24 hours. The hope is that this plan will be enough to help her body heal it. If it does not, she will need surgery to remove the part of the bowel that has pneumatosis.
Thank you everyone who has been lifting her up in prayer 💛
November 28th, 2024
Eviana has been admitted to Seattle Children’s due to high fever and excessive vomitting. We’re waiting on labs to come back still, but the course of treatment at this time is fluids, antibiotics, and getting her fever under control.
November 27th, 2024
Eviana was discharged from Seattle Children’s Hosptial on Saturday and Cadden flew back to Alaska to hold down the fort that night. Eviana and I have spent the last few days snuggling up in the hotel room while she slowly recovers from cycle two. So far, neither of us have ended up with cabin fever!
She is currently getting a daily subcutaneous injection that encourages her bone marrow to make new blood cells. It has been a challenging part of our day, emotionally and physically. She has been extremely quick to get back to her happy smiley self once we’re done. Thankfully Eviana hasn’t held any grudges against me for being the meany who holds her down and gives her the injection. I truly believe she is the happiest child there ever was 💛
Today was her first clinic visit post cycle two. We spent 7 hours in clinic getting labs, meeting with her oncologist, waiting on and then getting a red blood transfusion. From the experiences we’ve had with her chemotherapy cycles, both in 2023 and now, red blood cell and platelet transfusions seem to be needed for her. Her next clinic visit is Friday when we’ll do more labs, more transfusions if necessary, and meet with her aphaeresis team to make sure things are looking good for the planned stem cell retrieval on December 3rd.
The hope is that all the stem cells they need will be collected on the 3rd and Eviana and I could fly back to Alaska later next week. Once back in Alaska she would hop right into cycle three of chemotherapy, hopefully starting on December 9th. Which means she could potentially be home for Christmas this year. It is such a small thing, but would also be so big for our family to all be together.
To all who have continued to pray, provide food, or give monetary gifts THANK YOU! Our family will never be able to thank you all enough 💛
November 22nd, 2024
Eviana has completed three of her five doses of chemotherapy for cycle two! She’s been handling all the medications and interactions with her care team like a champ 💛
We have had the most wonderful nurse the past two days, Susan. Susan plays around with Eviana every chance she gets with lots of songs, clapping, and laughs. Eviana has a fondness for Susan too and offered Susan her forehead for kisses before giving her a big hug. The official form of Eviana acceptance 💛 It’s been sweet to see someone care so much about making our girl comfortable.
We have seen a drop in Eviana’s energy again so naps have been her best friend. She is snugged up with either Cadden or I a good part of the day. Eviana has been loving walks around the oncology/hematology unit and smiles and waves at all the passing staff. At her age Eviana is at higher risk for physical and developmental milestone delays and is being seen by physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to make sure she is maintaining steady development. We’re hoping that with the help of OT/speech therapy she will start eating a bit more and be able to get her NG tube taken out sooner rather than later. Eviana has been tolerating the NG tube really well and at this time there is no need or plan to put in a G-tube, but it’s not out of the question if she maintains her lack of oral intake during the course of treatment.
We’re so thankful for the ability to bring Eviana down here to continue treatments that give her the best chance at recovery and no further relapse. Cadden and I will never be able to accurately express our gratitude to all those who have prayed, given time, energy, food, and monetary gifts to our family during this time. We are taken back by how much love and support our family has received 💛
November 22nd, 2024
Eviana, Cadden, and I flew down to Seattle yesterday to start the next step in Eviana’s treatment plan! She is set to start cycle two tomorrow and her stem cell retrieval will hopefully be the first week of December. All her providers here have been so nice and patient as we ask questions and learn how treatment is going to go.
Eviana has been as busy as ever! She started walking just over a week ago and hasn’t stopped getting into things since. We’re very thankful for the time we have had with her full of laughs and fun between cycles 💛
Hopefully this cycle goes smoothly like the first cycle and we’re able to be home before too long 🤞🏻 I’m missing the kiddos already and I’ve been a tad emotional knowing I won’t see them for at least three weeks.
November 22nd, 2024
Our sweet girl was discharged yesterday, praise the Lord 🙌🏻 her counts have been extremely slow growing due to how intense the chemotherapy is and having a virus on top of that. Although her counts were looking good enough to come home, it was decided that Seattle was going to be pushed out a week.
Home life has looked a little different with her still not being a fan of solids and getting nutrition through her NG tube 18-20 hours a day. Cadden and I have both kept very busy chasing Eviana around with her IV pole. The hope is that we will be able to slowly wean her back down to 12 hours of nutrition through her NG and have her back to eating and drinking orally to some extent.
We are so extremely thankful for time at home as a family before Eviana and I leave for around a month for the next step of her treatment plan in Seattle.
November 22nd, 2024
Today was an extremely discouraging day in Eviana’s recovery from her first cycle of chemotherapy. After seeing very slow growth in Eviana’s white blood cell count over the past few days, this morning her labs came back showing that she is back at 0.
We’re not sure when her numbers will increase again as she is still fighting off the cold she contracted and is more symptomatic today than she has been. The decision was made to up the amount of nutrition she is getting through her NG as she has been showing less and less interest in nursing and absolutely no interest in taking in food or water orally. She has already received two red blood cell transfusions and one platelet transfusion due to continuously dropping counts. Her bone marrow was hit hard during cycle one and her body isn’t capable of making the blood products she needs. The hope is that transfusing her as soon as she meets criteria will reduce her risk of developing mouth sores.
Her oncologist will continue to monitor her counts and hopefully she will be out of here before she is scheduled to fly down to Seattle.
We’re holding on to the little moments where is is smiling and playing around 💛
November 22nd, 2024
After two back-to-back trips to the ER, Eviana was admitted to Providence Children’s Hospital yesterday after only three days of being home. What started as a low fever turned into a trip to the ER and needing to be admitted.
She tested positive for rhino enterovirus - the common cold. If she wasn’t severely neutropenic her body could have handled it, but she still doesn’t have a working immune system after cycle one. Due to all the factors of neutropenia, a high fever, and having a central line she is required to be at Providence Children’s getting antibiotics every 8 hours (not for the rhino enterovirus) as a precaution against a line infection or sepsis until her ANC is at or above 500. Her ANC was 0 yesterday and 10 today. Her body is slowly recovering, but you can tell that she’s tired.
The first and last photo were taken less than 12 hours apart. It’s heartbreaking to see how fast she can deteriorate from something her body would be able to fight off if it weren’t for her having neuroblastoma. My mom heart is grieving the loss of her having the childhood I always imagined for her. Instead, she has one that is creating deep rooted fear and trauma. I am holding on to God’s goodness and provision. She is loved, cared for, and prayed for by so many people 💛
With lots of fluids, naps, and antibiotics she is slightly more herself today. We are beyond grateful to her medical team who care so deeply for her 💛 The hope is that her counts will be up by the end of the weekend/early next week and she’ll be good to go home 🤞🏻
November 22nd, 2024
Eviana completed chemotherapy yesterday and was able to be discharged leading up to her next treatments in Seattle. We have the basic information about Eviana’s complete treatment plan. It’s extensive and she will spend a lot of time inpatient or in outpatient care.
Inpatient cycle one of chemotherapy - complete!
She will remain outpatient (God willing) as we wait for her counts to come back up before flying down to Seattle for inpatient cycle 2 of chemotherapy. During this wait she will have an MIBG and lots of labs done to make sure she is recovering well. Once cycle 2 is complete she will be outpatient as we watch her counts and once they’re high enough she will undergo stem cell retrieval. The hope is that she’ll be healthy enough to travel back up to Anchorage for her next few cycles.
Cycle 3, cycle 4, and cycle 5 will all hopefully be done at Providence. All being inpatient with outpatient labs and scans while her counts recover. She will need a CT, another MIBG, and another bone marrow biopsy during this time as well.
Surgery to remove what they can safely will happen after either cycle 4 or cycle 5. We won’t know if this is going to be happening at Providence Children’s or at Seattle Children’s until closer to the actual surgery. It will be based off of the scans and if the surgeons feel as if it can be completed safely here.
Then she will be flown back down to Seattle to receive two back to back high dose chemotherapy cycles with tandem stem cell transplant.
Next comes radiation. There are two options for radiation, only one of which can happen at Providence Children’s. If her team thinks that proton radiation is a better fit for her case then she will need to be back down in Seattle for the duration of her radiation therapy.
Immunotherapy comes next, which we are unsure if that will happen at Providence Children’s or Seattle Children’s.
There is no way to really know how long this treatment plan will take as the time between cycles is fully dependent on how her body is handling it all and how long it takes for her counts to come back up. It’s going to be a long hard fight for her little body.
Please continue to pray 💛
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