After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, Aralyn Slack is making the most of the time she has left. The 10-year-old recently found out that she has an uncommon type of brain tumor called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG. It’s not only incurable, but inoperable. While her family looks into treatment options, her community is helping her check every experience off her bucket list.
Aralyn’s Alliance on Facebook has been posting fundraiser after fundraiser to help the little girl live out her dreams. Many of her requests are simple, such as having a spa day, solving an escape room, and going to a trampoline park. With help from her loved ones, she’s already gotten started! At the end of May, Aralyn and her friends put together a lemonade stand, which was one of the items on her bucket list.
Meanwhile, family friends have set up a GoFundMe for the Slack family to help with their medical costs. While there’s only so much that treatment can do for Aralyn’s condition, her parents are exploring every option they can.
“The neurosurgeon oncologist told them today that on average kids live 9-11 months with treatment,” reads the fundraiser description. “Treatment is usually localized intense radiation. Chemo isn’t normally used because these types of tumors don’t respond to the chemo like other cancer cells. There are clinical trials that we can look into but again these aren’t cures. These are regimens that HOPEFULLY could affect the tumor in a positive outcome but nothing is ever guaranteed.”
Shawndra Slack, Aralyn’s mom, reported that the family is doing their best to stay positive.
“It’s scary, and it’s sad,” she said, via WSAZ. “But we are going to be strong. We decided that our souls are built enough to have worry and faith together, so we’re going to push out the worry.”
Earlier this month, Shawndra posted an update on Facebook regarding Aralyn’s health and spirits. She said that her daughter has been staying active and having fun as she goes through her radiation treatments.
“She’s feeling good,” Aralyn’s mom wrote. “Very slight double vision when she looks far left but other than that it’s completely gone. Balance is so much better, no headaches so we will take it! I just keep praying and praying. And we appreciate all of you that keep praying.”
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