Elijah Rowden is a rambunctious 5-year-old who loves monster trucks, dinosaurs and making people laugh.
When Elijah was 3 years old, his parents got an earth-shattering diagnosis. Elijah had a rare, and aggressive childhood brain cancer.
“He got a CT scan, and they came in and said that there was a really big mass on his frontal lobe, covering his frontal lobe,” said Hope Rowden, Elijah’s mother. “So, they transferred us to Comer Children’s in Hyde Park. The very next morning, he was having a craniotomy to remove the mass. We found out two weeks later that he had ETMR. It stands for an embryonal tumor with multiple rosettes.”
During Elijah’s last MRI, his parents got more disappointing news.
“We found out that the tumor was back, and that’s when they deemed him incurable,” Hope said. “We’ve been searching every avenue for…trials and second opinions.”
Doctors have told them that out-of-pocket medical costs for additional treatments will exceed $90,000.
The expenses don’t stop there.
There are also the endless trips back and forth, parking fees, gas, meals, childcare help for his sisters, medications and supplies.
An online fundraiser has been created to help cover expenses.
“No one wishes cancer on anyone, but a child…this is not fair. It is terrible,” said Zack, Elijah’s father. “I don’t want anyone to have to go through this. We have to believe in our kid. I hope people can help us. Pray for him. Help him heal. Help him just be a kid again.”
