The Kent community is rallying around the family of a 13-year-old boy recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that strikes about 250 children per year in the United States.
Wyatt Macey, of Kent, is going into the eighth grade this fall at Mattson Middle School in the Kent School District. He previously attended Meridian Elementary School, where his mother, Heather Macey, is a fourth-grade teacher, according to Sarah Borsheim, a family neighbor and close friend who started a GoFundMe page Aug. 7 for the Maceys.
“This past week, they received news every parent prays they will never hear,” Borsheim wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Wyatt was diagnosed with Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma with cancer sites in his knees, ribs, spine and base of his skull.”
Wyatt is receiving treatment at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“It will last at least 30 weeks and will include chemo, radiation and surgery,” Borsheim said. “They will have significant financial costs related to medical bills, travel to and from the hospital, loss of work wages and much more.”
It didn’t take long for the Kent community to respond to the GoFundMe post.
“The Macey family has been blown away by the generosity of you all,” Borsheim posted in an Aug. 8 update. “They feel seen, loved and supported. Thank you to all who have donated. You have helped lighten their burden in a very tangible way.”
Borsheim said she adjusted the current goal to $50,000 to hopefully give the family adequate funds to cover all anticipated costs related to Wyatt’s care.
“I know we can reach this goal with no problem as people continue to share and give,” she said. “Thank you for being a part of this journey with the Macey Family. Your support is invaluable!”
As of early Monday afternoon, Aug. 11, $47,128 had been raised from 372 donations, according to GoFundMe.com.
About Ewing sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma tends to strike children and young adults between the ages of 5 and 20, and is more common in boys than in girls, according to the Boston Children’s Hospital website. About 250 children and adolescents are diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma each year in the U.S., accounting for between 2% to 3% of all childhood cancers.
Ewing sarcoma is a kind of cancer that grows in bones or soft tissues, according to the Boston hospital. The tumor was first described by a pathologist, Dr. James Ewing, in the 1920s. Most often, Ewing sarcoma is found in the bones of the pelvis or thigh, though it can arise throughout the body.
Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma is the most advanced stage of the disease, according to MedicalNewsToday.com. It indicates the cancer has spread to distant body organs and tissues. Symptoms may include bone pain, fractures, fever and weight loss.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
The Macey family of Kent. COURTESY PHOTO, GoFundMe
