12/23 Update - Hello everyone and Merry early Christmas from the Saufleys! We have been overwhelmed in the most beautiful way imaginable by the immediate and powerful support. We are amazed and so grateful to be on the doorstep of our goal after a little over two weeks. One thing the immediacy of your support allows us to do is consider and acquire supporting therapies that we didn't perceive would be possible for another couple months. "The sooner the better" when it comes to these additional therapies, and you all have certainly paved the way for it to be "sooner." As we approach $44,500, we want to again be up front about our desire to put anything over that amount towards A) undisclosed medical costs B) a larger vehicle for our growing family (see more details on that below). Please reach out and contact either of us if you or someone you know is looking to sell their minivan! Also, as stated below, please visit our Caring Bridge page for updates on Luca, who has done great throughout his first three weeks of chemo. 

Love, 
Luca, Leah and Joe 

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Hello from Luca, Leah and Joe Saufley!

Welcome to our GiveSendGo page and thank you for your interest in supporting Luca's "big adventure" taking on stage III kidney cancer. Though life certainly took a difficult turn on Nov. 13, God has already provided for us in so many ways, most evidently through the overflowing prayer, support and encouragement we've received through this point. This page marks another chapter in our support journey, a means of tackling the financial expenses we have already, and will continue to, incur due to Luca's diagnosis. As you prayerfully consider supporting us financially, please know that prayer and words of encouragement/Truth still remain our biggest needs. You all can (and already have!) do much, and we trust God will take that and do infinitely more with it. Please join us in praying for His healing mercies and protection over our son's short and long term future. You can find Luca's specific diagnosis and backstory further down on this page, but, for ongoing updates and prayer requests, as well as more information about us, please visit our Caring Bridge page

We're Asking for Financial Support in the Following Areas:

• Medical Expenses (~$20,000)
• Supporting Therapies and Treatments (~$12,000)
• Living Expenses (~$12,500)
• Car (~?? - more on this below)
• Our financial needs are still not completely known at this point. Our initial goal of $44,500 will cover known and strongly anticipated needs through this point. We will clearly and thoroughly communicate any additional needs that may arise as our journey continues.

Car Situation and Exceeding Our Goal:

We are currently a one-car family, and that car, though excellent (thank you Carman the Mazda CX-5), is on the cusp on 200k miles. Before Luca's diagnosis, we planned on purchasing a used minivan in spring/summer 2026 to serve as our second vehicle once we welcomed Saufley baby #2 in May. If we exceed our goal and/or find medical expenses fall below the anticipated amount, we plan to allocate the funds towards the purchase of a used minivan. If you know of anyone who is looking to sell their minivan or larger SUV - please let us know!  

Luca's Big Adventure: Diagnosis/Treatment Timeline

• Luca has been diagnosed with a Stage III Favorable Histology Wilms Tumor (FHWT). Doctors plan to treat his kidney cancer with radiation from Dec. 1-8 and weekly chemotherapy from Dec. 1 until either late April or late August 2026. Treatment will take place at the Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO, about 15 minutes outside of Denver. We are currently based in Laramie, WY, about 2 hours north of his treatment site.

Luca's Big Adventure: The Backstory

• Our adventure started on Nov. 13, the day Luca turned one and a half. During a regularly scheduled wellness visit, Luca's pediatrician ordered an ultrasound after noticing some rigidity near his stomach. At 4:30, we were called back in to the pediatrician and informed that Luca had a mass on his left kidney. We left Laramie, WY for the Denver Children's Hospital that same night, and Luca's oncologists had him quickly undergo a CT scan in the hunt for more answers.
• On Nov. 14, doctors informed us that the 7x7.7x8 cm mass was most likely a malignant form of rare kidney cancer (roughly 600-650 children in the US per year) known as Wilms tumor, or nephroblastoma. They scheduled a surgery for Nov. 17, hopeful that the tumor would remain enclosed in its "sac" through the surgery, thus keeping the final diagnosis at stage 1 or 2. As the surgery grew closer, Luca battled through extremely elevated hypertension, low electrolytes and fatigue - all common side effects of the tumor's grip on his kidney. It amazed and disturbed us how much the tumor appeared to expand and impact Luca between Nov. 13-17, as if it knew its time was short and was trying to maximize damage.
• Luca's 8-hour surgery on Nov. 17 brought both gutting news and relief. We were devastated to learn that, although doctors were able to remove the mass, they did not get to before it broke out of its "sac" and tried to invade Luca's colon. For a brief period of time, we were held in suspense as to whether or not the tumor had infected the colon, which would have required an additional surgery and darker diagnosis. Doctors eventually determined that the colon was full healthy and functional - the evil that tried to spread to the rest of his body had failed and was, for the time, removed. However, due to the "sac's" failure to contain the tumor, Luca's kidney cancer was determined to be stage III, which warranted chemotherapy and radiation.
• The first three days of Luca's post-op recovery were littered with minor complications and a few tense moments, particularly with his heart and a major "gas bubble" in his stomach. But God continually extended his healing mercies over Luca and oversaw a slow but steady recovery, including lowered blood pressure and (finally) increased sodium and potassium levels. By the evening of Nov. 21, Luca started to turn a major corner, and, on Nov. 23, we were discharged from Denver Children's - ending the first major chapter of our adventure.
• We've been thankful for the past several days, which included a brief return to our current hometown of Laramie for Thanksgiving and, at the moment, a mini "getaway" in Winter Park, CO. We will return to Denver on Dec. 1 for the start of Luca's chemo and radiation treatment. For Cycle 1 (three weeks) of chemo, which also overlaps with radiation treatment, we will be staying at Brent's Place, a wonderful residential community for childhood cancer patients and their families. Our admittance to Brent's Place is one of many ways God's faithfulness continues to be our "shield and rampart" during this adventure!

Thank you for taking the time to catch up on Luca's backstory. We look forward to having you along with us in prayer, word and deed on this adventure.