- Joined
- May 6, 2010
- Messages
- 17,124
One Mahopac family is trying to turn an unspeakable tragedy into something helpful and positive as they face unbearable grief.
Jennifer and Tim Cashion’s 4-year-old daughter Isabella (Izzy) was diagnosed earlier this week with DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), a type of rare but aggressive terminal brain tumor that primarily affects young children. Only about 300 children are diagnosed with DIPG annually.
The Cashions moved to Mahopac about five years ago, and have two other children, Lucas, 2, and Liam, 10 months. Ironically, Jennifer Cashion has spent most of her professional career as a pediatric oncology nurse, treating patients just like Izzy, and is now a nurse practitioner. Tim Cashion is a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department.
“I am looking to turn this tragedy into a purpose,” said Lindsay Rush, Jennifer’s sister, who resides in Pittsburgh. “I am hoping that we can raise awareness about this deadly diagnosis for future research funding, as well as rally behind my sister and her family for community support. Our family is in shambles, and we are looking for all outlets, to provide any glimmer of hope. If there is ever a need for media and social outlets, this is a time.”
Rush has started a GoFundMe page (CLICK HERE) that she hopes will raise money to not only help the Cashions with medical costs but also spread awareness and donate funds for DIPG research. As of this writing, the page has already raised a little more than $76,000.
“[Izzy] should be going to pre-k and picking out a bookbag this fall, but now we are battling the unbearable,” Rush writes on the GoFundMe page. “We are absolutely devastated by this diagnosis and are looking for support for her family in any way we can.”
Rush said her sister and her husband decided to leave New York City and look for a house in a more rural setting when they were ready to start a family.
“They were originally from neighboring cities in Ohio, but didn’t even know each other until they both moved to New York City,” Rush explained. “Their high schools played football against each other.”
Rush said Tim had a friend in the FDNY who lived in Mahopac and told the Cashions they should check out the town.
“They loved the lake and bought a house with a porch view,” she said.
Rush said Izzy had been having a good summer, attending her first fulltime summer camp and learning how to swim. And then her mom, who works at Montefiore Hospital’s Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Bronx, began to notice some things.
“[Izzy] was really enjoying the summer and finally getting to meet some friends,” Rush said. "But Jennifer noticed that her eyes were looking lazy and a little cross-eyed. She thought she was just being goofy. Then Izzy was outside playing and when she came back in, it was much more noticeable, more prominent.”
They took Izzy to a pediatrician who immediately told them they needed to get the child to an ER.
“That terrified Jennifer,” Rush said. “They did a CT scan, and it showed a mass on the brain stem. The location is on the pons. They won’t touch that. It’s hard to reach and it controls things like breathing, blood pressure, heart rate—all vital functions. No surgeon will touch it. They did an MRI to confirm and that was the definite diagnosis.”
Rush said the situation is even more heart-rending because Jennifer had been struggling with fertility issues before she had Izzy and her two younger brothers.
“She was a miracle baby,” she said. “They are all miracle babies.”
Rush called DIPG “one of the worse cancers anyone could be diagnosed with.”
“It’s so rare, something like one in 100,000,” she said.
Rush said she knew there was trouble when she got a text from Jennifer in the middle of the night.
“I woke my husband and said we have to get to New York. It’s about a seven-hour drive,” she said.
Rush said her husband went and picked up her and Jennifer’s parents and they have since arrived in Mahopac.
“Our worst nightmare has unraveled,” she said.
Rush said Izzy continues to be evaluated at Sloan Kettering Hospital in Manhattan, one of the most renowned cancer hospitals in the world.
“It’s the best place for her to be,” Rush said. “The plan is they will do radiation for four to six weeks and that will shrink the tumor and then we will see if there are any clinical trials out there. We will pray for a miracle—any glimmer of hope in a hopeless situation. We are not naïve.”
Rush said the family really wants to publicize Izzy’s diagnosis to raise awareness of the disease.
“There is not enough research and not enough funding,” she said. “Until it happens to you, you don’t think about it. Now, you go through so many emotions. And then it turns to anger.”
“I said, let’s get this GoFundMe going, get her to Disney and ease burden on [the Cashions] with things like meal trains. FDNY has helped tremendously with meals. Jennifer and Tim need anything helpful. Any support.”
Rush said helping with medical costs is important in case they have to fly Izzy somewhere.
Rush called Izzy “the kid you want your kid to be friends with.”
“She has beautiful curly blonde hair and blue eyes,” her aunt said. “She is so caring and calm and sensitive. She loves Unicorns, and all the Disney princesses. She loves ice cream. She was just learning how to swim, and she really loves gymnastics. And she is the best big sister to her little brothers.”
DIPG is an aggressive form of cancer, but Rush said Izzy is okay for now.
“She has fallen a few times, tripping over her own feet,” she said. “I guess you could rule that out as just being clumsy, and she is a little more tired than usual.”
If you’d like to help out the Cashions and raise awareness for DIPG, go to GOFUNDME.
Jennifer and Tim Cashion’s 4-year-old daughter Isabella (Izzy) was diagnosed earlier this week with DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), a type of rare but aggressive terminal brain tumor that primarily affects young children. Only about 300 children are diagnosed with DIPG annually.
The Cashions moved to Mahopac about five years ago, and have two other children, Lucas, 2, and Liam, 10 months. Ironically, Jennifer Cashion has spent most of her professional career as a pediatric oncology nurse, treating patients just like Izzy, and is now a nurse practitioner. Tim Cashion is a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department.
“I am looking to turn this tragedy into a purpose,” said Lindsay Rush, Jennifer’s sister, who resides in Pittsburgh. “I am hoping that we can raise awareness about this deadly diagnosis for future research funding, as well as rally behind my sister and her family for community support. Our family is in shambles, and we are looking for all outlets, to provide any glimmer of hope. If there is ever a need for media and social outlets, this is a time.”
Rush has started a GoFundMe page (CLICK HERE) that she hopes will raise money to not only help the Cashions with medical costs but also spread awareness and donate funds for DIPG research. As of this writing, the page has already raised a little more than $76,000.
“[Izzy] should be going to pre-k and picking out a bookbag this fall, but now we are battling the unbearable,” Rush writes on the GoFundMe page. “We are absolutely devastated by this diagnosis and are looking for support for her family in any way we can.”
Rush said her sister and her husband decided to leave New York City and look for a house in a more rural setting when they were ready to start a family.
“They were originally from neighboring cities in Ohio, but didn’t even know each other until they both moved to New York City,” Rush explained. “Their high schools played football against each other.”
Rush said Tim had a friend in the FDNY who lived in Mahopac and told the Cashions they should check out the town.
“They loved the lake and bought a house with a porch view,” she said.
Rush said Izzy had been having a good summer, attending her first fulltime summer camp and learning how to swim. And then her mom, who works at Montefiore Hospital’s Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Bronx, began to notice some things.
“[Izzy] was really enjoying the summer and finally getting to meet some friends,” Rush said. "But Jennifer noticed that her eyes were looking lazy and a little cross-eyed. She thought she was just being goofy. Then Izzy was outside playing and when she came back in, it was much more noticeable, more prominent.”
They took Izzy to a pediatrician who immediately told them they needed to get the child to an ER.
“That terrified Jennifer,” Rush said. “They did a CT scan, and it showed a mass on the brain stem. The location is on the pons. They won’t touch that. It’s hard to reach and it controls things like breathing, blood pressure, heart rate—all vital functions. No surgeon will touch it. They did an MRI to confirm and that was the definite diagnosis.”
Rush said the situation is even more heart-rending because Jennifer had been struggling with fertility issues before she had Izzy and her two younger brothers.
“She was a miracle baby,” she said. “They are all miracle babies.”
Rush called DIPG “one of the worse cancers anyone could be diagnosed with.”
“It’s so rare, something like one in 100,000,” she said.
Rush said she knew there was trouble when she got a text from Jennifer in the middle of the night.
“I woke my husband and said we have to get to New York. It’s about a seven-hour drive,” she said.
Rush said her husband went and picked up her and Jennifer’s parents and they have since arrived in Mahopac.
“Our worst nightmare has unraveled,” she said.
Rush said Izzy continues to be evaluated at Sloan Kettering Hospital in Manhattan, one of the most renowned cancer hospitals in the world.
“It’s the best place for her to be,” Rush said. “The plan is they will do radiation for four to six weeks and that will shrink the tumor and then we will see if there are any clinical trials out there. We will pray for a miracle—any glimmer of hope in a hopeless situation. We are not naïve.”
Rush said the family really wants to publicize Izzy’s diagnosis to raise awareness of the disease.
“There is not enough research and not enough funding,” she said. “Until it happens to you, you don’t think about it. Now, you go through so many emotions. And then it turns to anger.”
“I said, let’s get this GoFundMe going, get her to Disney and ease burden on [the Cashions] with things like meal trains. FDNY has helped tremendously with meals. Jennifer and Tim need anything helpful. Any support.”
Rush said helping with medical costs is important in case they have to fly Izzy somewhere.
Rush called Izzy “the kid you want your kid to be friends with.”
“She has beautiful curly blonde hair and blue eyes,” her aunt said. “She is so caring and calm and sensitive. She loves Unicorns, and all the Disney princesses. She loves ice cream. She was just learning how to swim, and she really loves gymnastics. And she is the best big sister to her little brothers.”
DIPG is an aggressive form of cancer, but Rush said Izzy is okay for now.
“She has fallen a few times, tripping over her own feet,” she said. “I guess you could rule that out as just being clumsy, and she is a little more tired than usual.”
If you’d like to help out the Cashions and raise awareness for DIPG, go to GOFUNDME.
