Dakota DeShazers

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.

Our lives have changed rather dramatically in the last few days. The story begins with Dakota actively enjoying the football season with his friends.

About a month ago, he was elbowed while playing. He noticed a lump in his neck that continued to grow in size over time. In the weeks following, it grew to the point that we were alarmed enough to take him to the hospital.

Further scans revealed two additional tumors located near his heart and close enough to his airway that local Wichita doctors considered his needs best served at Children's Mercy in Kansas City.

Dakota was life flighted there via jet for further treatment. Doctors in KC suspect cancer and have mentioned Hodgkins lymphoma as a preliminary possibility.

Dakota is in the midst of rigorous testing (labs, bone marrow biopsy, PET scan) to get a definitive diagnosis. They have placed a PICC line to prepare for treatment so that Dakota may be spared multiple sticks for lab draws and meds.

As you can imagine, our family is in shock as we begin to navigate the arduous path ahead. We appreciate all of your prayers and positive energy.

We will do our best to keep family and friends updated on Dakota's progress.