A 10-year-old girl in Ohio has sadly been given a terminal diagnosis for a rare brain tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG. In response to her diagnosis, Aralyn Slack made a bucket list of the things she hopes to do with the time she has left. Her community is uniting to organize events and raise money for her medical expenses and to make sure she is able to do the items on her list, according to Dakota News Now.
Sadly, DIPG has a long-term survival rate of less than 1% and is considered one of the deadliest forms of childhood cancer, according to the American Childhood Cancer Organization.
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Concerning symptoms led to the diagnosis.
Aralyn’s family just received the diagnosis last week. According to Shawndra Slack, Aralyn’s mother, she started exhibiting concerning symptoms one Sunday that led to her diagnosis.
“Sunday during the day, she started kind of walking off balance, and she fell a couple of times, and before we went to bed that night, she came out of the room to tell me goodnight, and the right side of her face was drooped,” Slack said, according to Fox 19.
Even with treatment, the prognosis remains grim.
Aralyn is going to start receiving treatments beginning in the next week at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, which is reportedly leading the way in DIPG research, per Dakota News Now. According to an update posted on a GoFundMe page for Aralyn, even with the treatment starting soon, the outcome for DIPG is still very bleak.
Two friends of the Slack family, Ashley Campbell and Emily Niehaus-Hall, organized the fundraiser and shared an update on her treatment.
“The neurosurgeon oncologist told them today that on average kids live 9-11 months with treatment. Treatment is usually localized intense radiation. Chemo isn't normally used because these types of tumors don't respond to the chemo like other cancer cells," the page update read. "There are clinical trials that we can look into but again these aren't cures. These are regimens that HOPEFULLY could affect the tumor in a positive outcome but nothing is ever guaranteed.”
Her bucket list contains a variety of activities.
Despite the devastating diagnosis and outcome, Aralyn and her family have faced everything with courage. “It’s scary, and it’s sad. But we are going to be strong," Shawndra Slack said. “We decided that our souls are built enough to have worry and faith together, so we’re going to push out the worry,” reported Dakota News Now.
Some of the items Aralyn has on her bucket list are going on a cruise, visiting a trampoline park, aquarium and zoo, and going to a Monster Jam. In addition to her bucket list, Aralyn’s softball team moved up its game at Lynchburg Clay High School so she could participate in what may be her last softball game, per Fox 19.
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Family and friends are raising funds for her treatment and bucket list.
The GoFundMe page started by friends of the Slack family to help with Aralyn’s treatment and bucket list has raised more than $35,000 so far of its $50,000 goal. An update was also recently posted by Aralyn’s mother stating that in addition to the radiation treatment, they also are going to try a clinical trial per Aralyn’s request.
“We have had some deep anguishing conversations with Aralyn. You never think you have to have a conversation of that seriousness with a 10 yr old. Aralyn says she wants to fight this bc ‘she's not ready to go and she don't want to die’. So that's exactly what we are going to do," Shawndra Slack posted in an update to the page.
"I'm going to do anything and everything in my power to keep her here. We have decided that we will go with a clinical trial. We haven't decided exactly which one yet though. I do know that no matter what radiation will start and it will be everyday Mon-Fri for six weeks.”
