Three is a Magic Number

They say 3 is a magic number and today its giving Aria and her family lots to celebrate! Although Aria was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma stage 3 in March of 2017, Aria turned 3 years old and reached 3 months cancer-free in November!

Back in March, Aria’s parents, Christopher and Kristin, became concerned about an abnormal distension in her abdomen. The distension was found to be caused by a large tumor, about twice the size of the rest of her liver. The tumor was determined to be cancerous and she began chemotherapy promptly. Unfortunately, due to the size of the tumor, doctors feared chemotherapy would not be sufficient. Additionally, the position of the tumor made it likely that it could not be removed easily. As a result, Aria would need a liver transplant.

Aria was placed on the waiting list for a liver. Waiting for an organ available for transplant can often take a long time, especially for children. Thankfully, news of liver available for Aria came quicker than expected. She began surgery to receive the transplant during which surgeons made an important discovery and were able to give her parents even better news. Aria did not need the transplant after all. Miraculously, the massive tumor in her liver was not connected to any major arteries and could be removed completely. After surgery, Aria healed well and was soon classified cancer free.

For Aria’s third birthday celebration, the cake was provided by Sugar Angel Kyla Koch of Kyla’s Cakes N Bakes in Odessa, Missouri. Aria’s parents, thrilled to be celebrating her birthday, thank the bakers for providing the “icing on the cake” for the special occasion. Those interested in learning more about Aria’s story or following along can join the Pray for Aria Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/prayforaria/.