Meet Spencer
Meet Spencer
This happy-go-lucky Dream Kid has the courage to continue through treatments, patiently waiting till he can experience his magical Dream come true.
Two-year old Spencer is like your average toddler in many ways; he’s starting to talk and he’s climbing on everything! Spencer loves Paw Patrol (of course) and playing with his toy trucks and dinosaurs.
Pictured: Dream Kid Spencer went through extremely difficult treatments from an early age.
But Spencer’s life has been not-so-average in a big way. Last year, when his parents brought him to the hospital because he was bloated and having stomach pain. What started as a regular trip to the hospital turned in to a parent’s worst nightmare; Spencer was diagnosed with cancer. Spencer had a 15 cm tumour in his abdomen and had to stay in the hospital to start treatment immediately after his diagnosis.
Spencer spent over five weeks in the hospital and received rigorous chemotherapy treatment. While there, Spencer’s family also found out that he had a condition called neurofibromatosis, which makes Spencer more susceptible to developing tumours on his nervous system.
During his stay at the hospital, Spencer and his family were split up. He was separated from his sister, Lucy, and only spent time with one parent at a time while the other was home taking care of Lucy. It was hard on the whole family because Spencer and his big sister were used to being together all the time. Both Spencer and Lucy had to mature faster than most kids while dealing with this trauma.
“It really pushed our emotions to the max. Before the surgery, we had to face the possibility, however low the probability was, that he might not live. We had to accept the possibility of our son’s death.”
Pictured: Spencer’s radiation treatment was very intense on his little body.
Luckily, Spencer’s body responded well to the chemotherapy – it shrunk his tumour by half, and doctors were able to remove it in surgery. After his surgery, Spencer had to undergo radiation therapy.
“The radiation really affected him,” Luke told us. “It was his whole stomach area, and he had radiation burns – it was hard to see him suffer like that.”
Through the radiation, Spencer lost a lot of weight. His parents and doctors were worried that the radiation would stunt his growth, because if his abdomen didn’t grow at the same rate of the rest of his body, it could be extremely dangerous. Even now, as Spencer undergoes regular chemotherapy, his parents must monitor him for any unusual bumps, bloating, or sickness. Spencer can’t go to daycare – it’s even a risk for him to go to the grocery store – even the slightest fever means calling the doctor and heading to the hospital.
“If it was me, and I got the news that I was sick, I could accept it easier,” Luke told us. “But when it’s your small, baby boy, it’s very hard to accept. We went through the motions of blame and anger and loss, but in the end, what Spencer needs is the love, the care, the support, and the treatment. The most important thing for us is to be there for him.”
Some worries were alleviated for Spencer’s family when CT scans showed no new growths in Spencer. It has also been encouraging for them to see Spencer continue to grow and flourish after all he has gone through.
When Spencer’s family first came to The Dream Factory and learned that Spencer’s Dream would come true, they were so excited. Spencer’s favourite thing to watch before bed is Mickey Mouse, and he loves Encanto for all the music, which his dad says is on repeat – the music is soothing for Spencer. So it was only natural that Spencer’s Dream should be a trip to the most magical place on earth, Disney World, where he’ll get to meet Mickey Mouse in person!
Pictured: Spencer’s body is responding well to treatment, and he’s encouraging his parents every day with his happy attitude.
“We’ve really appreciated the support, from Spencer’s Dream come true to the Dream Family Funds,” Luke says. “It gave us hope that there are people out there that have walked the same path as Spencer, hearing their stories and knowing we’re not alone.”
Spencer’s Dream will have to wait until he’s finished his treatment. But until then, he will experience the anticipation and excitement that his Disney Dream will come true!