Eliza

Eliza has been fighting a rare and very aggressive cancer since she was 10 months old. She was diagnosed with rhabdoid tumor in June of 2019 and is the only documented case of having all four diagnoses of rhabdoid tumor:

- Rhabdoid Tumor of the Kidney (RTK) – Left kidney engulfed by tumor
- Entire left kidney removed June 2019

- Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT) – Brain

- 100% of tumor removed July 2019

- Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor (MRT) – Lung

- Two surgeries to remove tumors in right lung

- One surgery to remove the left lower lung

- Rhabdoid Tumor Predisposition Syndrome (RTPS) – SMARCB1 genetic mutation

- Eliza is the only documented case in the world of having inherited this mutation

- Kate, Eliza’s mommy, has the same SMARCB1 gene mutation, although she never developed rhabdoid tumors

- This unique SMARCB1 gene mutation runs in the family



Eliza has undergone extensive treatments and surgeries, and was evaluated at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on November 10th to discuss additional treatment options, since she has failed all known protocols for rhabdoid tumor. Eliza has been undergoing additional treatments as part of a new trial at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital since winter, which required both of us (Kate and Chance) to step away from our jobs, and travel multiple hours one way for Eliza’s treatments. Eliza’s team eventually discovered 8 nodules in her lungs via CT scan. The team’s plan was to complete surgery to remove as much of the nodules as possible, and the remaining areas would undergo ablative radiation.