Ethan Fairbanks

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.


Most everyone knows Ethan’s story. Quick run down. 
He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma November 11th 2009 after several misdiagnosis and a few months of pain and agony. A biopsy was performed the following day along with numerous tests only to discover the tumor in his leg/hip had traveled to his lungs. Chemo was started immediately and a month later drs were scratching their heads to figure out what to do so we decided it was time to go somewhere with specialists. What better place than Mayo Clinic in Rochester Mn. 
They approached us with several plans. Rotationolasty, double thoracotomy, etc.  March of 2010 was his rotation surgery and then in July they went in both lungs at the same time to remove metastatic (nodules that had spread) osteosarcoma. Every few months they were going back in to remove spots in his lungs. He finished his chemo regimen July 2011. In 2012 it traveled to the other leg. He was terminal. They asked us to enjoy him. They did a partial hip replacement to his other leg along with radiation and he began chemo treatments again. His last thoracotomy was in February of 2014. The cancer stopped moving. Several spots in his lungs but not changing. We were good for nearly 5 years. Tom and I felt as if our lives were getting better and we could make plans again. Better our lives. 


On January 14th 2019 we went back for his routine visit. A nodule in his lung has grown as well as having a tiny new one. You can imagine the horrifying thoughts. They will be doing a PET scan next Monday and he will be going in for his 8th thoracotomy Friday January 25th. 


I’ve started this page for support and encouragement. Ethan doesn’t feel comfortable with me posting on Facebook. I feel this is a little more private and I can get my thoughts out of my head and get the prayers we desperately need.