Update on Baby Seth

I've been wanting to post about Baby Seth for days, but I wanted to read through the email I got so I could make some sense of it. So, here is an edited version of the info I received from my girlfriend:

The doctors are all in agreement that little Seth has a cancer known as neuroblastoma. One of their doctors would like to see his scan again to decide whether or not they should start chemotherapy.

The positive thing about Seth's prognosis is that he is so young, and the crucial tests came back with the numbers the doctors wanted to see. Other than high blood pressure, the symptoms on paper give a positive picture. The unfortunate part is that when you see Seth, his belly is so obviously full, that there are concerns.

At this point, it is possible that Seth could be one of those babies who have this condition and then it actually slowly dissipates. The way to deal with this is to watch him closely, measure him daily, do scans weekly, and decide based on those answers if he is one of those 'miracles.' If in the midst of the waiting there is any significant change, they would most likely begin chemo.

The other scenario would mean doing the chemo now, with the hope that it would shrink the liver as well as the tumor. Although the lay person's response is usually to just do the chemo, the medical community believes that avoiding the effects of chemo are worth it if at all possible simply because there is proof that Seth could be a miracle based on his situation.

The family has asked that you pray for patience and energy as they wait for some answers. I will keep you posted on what I hear from my girlfriend. In the meantime, the family says: "…we will just be grateful for our little big-bellied babe. We all agree that it just makes him look more like his papa!"


We are praying Baby Seth!