Meet Savannah
Savannah is 8 years old and in the second grade. She has 4 siblings - one older and 3 younger. Her favorite colors are pink, purple, AND blue. Savannah loves all things Disney. Her favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast - the live action version (versus the animated version). Her favorite subject is technology and loves playing Hello Kitty World. Savannah also has cancer.
In November 2017, Savannah was just 6 years old when she was diagnosed with Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma - a rare, aggressive bone cancer which had spread to her lungs. The cancer was even more rare to be diagnosed in a 6-year-old. Ewing Sarcoma normally presents in teenagers, with the youngest cases being 10-year-old children.
Update - November 8th
Savannah loves everything fall. Her favorite thing is singing "This Is Halloween" while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas. She dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast (her favorite Disney movie) for Halloween. Her feeding tube has been removed, so she is now enjoying her Halloween candy and another one of her fall favorites - pumpkin pie!
But Savannah's journey isn't over. She continues visits to the clinic every three weeks for treatment which can take over 8 hours between vitals, meeting with her doctor, drawing labs, waiting for counts, and administering the actual treatment drug.
Savannah (center) with her siblings celebrating Halloween
Savannah bundled up inside the theater to watch
Sesame Street Live with her family
Update - November 26th
A year into her cancer journey, Savannah’s family is currently making the 60 mile trip to the clinic every three weeks. In addition, she is going to physical therapy weekly to regain muscle mass that was lost as a result from radiation and Savannah as to be retrained to walk properly.
Amidst all of her appointments, recently the Jay Fund was able to give Savannah and her family a “day off” from cancer as they enjoyed Sesame Street Live together. As a family of 7, an outing like this is considered a luxury. “Even with insurance, there is a fear of not knowing all the expenses and unpredictable bills. Just knowing the Jay Fund is there helps,” said Savannah’s mom, Sarah.
Update - December 3rd
Savannah's mom, Sarah, was able to attend the Jay Fund's latest Financial Game Plan workshop. These workshops are designed to aid families in navigating financial hardship.
A year into Savannah's treatment, Sarah was able to add to the conversation and offer great advice to other Jay Fund families. One tip she shared was how she would order groceries to be delivered to Savannah's hospital room to save on eating out at the cafeteria every day during their lengthy stays.
Update - December 27th
We are happy to report that Savannah was able to spend the holidays with her family! Her doctors were able to arrange treatments to allow her to be home and not in the hospital on Christmas. Please click here watch a video for more on Savannah at the Jay Fund Holiday Party.
Send the Jay Fund your message of encouragement for Savannah and we will forward it to her mom, Sarah!
Email Savannah