Nico's Army

In the summer of 2010, Nico was 3 1/2 years old. He started to crawl around the house instead of walking and was having persistently high fevers. The doctors originally thought he may be dehydrated and then RA. After several appointments we saw the nurse practitioner at the practice and she advised us to immediately go to CHoP.

Nico was diagnosed with stage IV high risk neuroblastoma on August 1, 2010.



Nico went through the standard protocol which included 6 rounds of high dose chemo therapy, surgery, 15 radiation treatments, stem cell transplant, immunotherapy, and Accutane treatment. He finished in October 2011 NED (no evidence of disease). Nico went for his 5 year well visit the end of March 2012 and his nurse practitioner found that his pupils were uneven, we were sent back to CHoP and they confirmed that Nico had relapsed.

There were lesions throughout his body, one pressing on the optic nerve causing the uneven pupils, and in his bone marrow. We did a round of chemo but changed direction and went with MIBG radiation. Nico had 3 rounds of MIBG radiation and 2 more rounds of chemo. The scans after MIBG showed a spot on his lung and the oncologist suggested we biopsy. Nico had a lung biopsy on Dec. 5, 2012. His lungs weren't healing afterwards and they continually collapsed when the chest tube was removed. We spent all of December, including Christmas, in CHoP, he went home with a chest tube and oxygen. When we saw that his scans were again stable (just one lesion in his hip) we decided to stop treatment and give him a chance to be a kid and enjoy the summer.



We scanned again September and they again showed stable, this time we decided to biopsy the site. The biopsy came back immature neuroblastoma and onto radiation we went. Nico had 14 radiation treatments in December 2013. We just had scans again last month and found out, on Valentine's Day, that the cancer had spread to his spine and the lymph nodes in his neck. We decided on a phase 1 study and that is what he just started.

Nico has had a rough life but, despite how horrid this may all be, you would never know it. He is an amazing little boy. Outgoing, fun, energetic, friendly, the works. He has played t-ball. He is in Cub Scouts. He is your normal everyday little boy... with cancer. 



Having dubbed himself a "soldier" and his family his "army," for his 7th birthday this year, we'd like to show him just how big and how strong this army - HIS ARMY - is. So, please, if you want to help support Nico in this battle for his life, just buy a shirt (or two, or three!). Wear it proudly and become part of Nico's Army!