But unlike many other kids, Henry is battling Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) and a brain tumor. Since his diagnoses at 15 months and the beginning of his treatment at 18 months, Henry has been on a long and hard journey, with ups and downs. He completed 3 years of nonstop chemotherapy for his tumor to become stable, but only for a few months.

Now that it is active again, Henry’s family is looking for him to join a clinical trial as a possible next option to stop his tumor and the continued damage it causes. Because of the tumor, Henry has permanent sight impairments, excess growth hormones, and precocious puberty. Though these are ongoing illnesses, his family is working to ensure that he gets the chance to live the best life.

In recognition of his tough circumstance, his doctor designated turning five years old a major milestone for Henry. Far from a stopping point in his journey, it is a chance to celebrate how far Henry has come, and the hope that he will go even farther. As mom Rory states, “it’s a milestone with significance only in that we had a goal and we reached it. A long, uncertain road is ahead of us. But in this moment, we wanted Henry to have a party that made him feel special.”

To celebrate this milestone, a Paw Patrol Pirate theme cake was requested, and we were more than happy to fulfill this order. Our Sugar Angel Jennifer Brandi did an incredible job bringing the theme to life and creating a cake that was delicious and a “WOW” cake, as Rory describes it. The red and blue two-tiered cake features Henry’s name, puppy prints, some of Henry’s favorite puppies dressed as pirates, and five gold candles to mark his milestone.

Rory was completely blown away by this cake and hopes to include more of our cakes in celebrations for Henry’s siblings and upcoming milestones for Henry. Thank you to our Sugar Angel Jennifer Brandi!

With Smiles,

Candyce Palmer

Icing Smiles Blog Writer