Meet Adrian – Rhabdomyosarcoma Warrior

“We appreciate the help we have received from NCCS so much! The funds from the NCCS have eased some of our financial burden while we’re so worried about our daughter,” said Mia.

It all happened really fast for Adrian and her family. After feeling a lump under her jaw one evening, Adrian’s parents, Jeremiah and Mia, took her to an urgent care and emergency room where doctors believed it was an abscess. They were sent home with antibiotics. But as the lump continued to get bigger and Adrian became noticeably listless, her parents became increasingly concerned. They took her to a different ER where doctors discovered this lump was not an abscess, but a tumor. Adrian was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma just two months after her 3rd birthday.

Adrian began chemotherapy immediately and powered through it like a champ. Her treatment plan included 20 weeks of chemotherapy, 31 sessions of proton therapy, followed by additional weekly chemo. To make the situation even more challenging, Adrian’s treatment was at three different hospitals. The distance between her treatment centers totaled 362 miles round trip and the travel expenses quickly added up. Unsure of what to do, Adrian’s parents found the NCCS. They received financial assistance from the Travel Assistance Fund to ensure Adrian made it to every appointment as well as support for other treatment-related expenses from the Emergency Assistance Fund.