Kayla’s Story

Site created on January 20, 2020

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. I am giving the shortest version of her journey so far as she has fought this terrible cancer to update everyone and I will try to keep this updated as we go. I am her mother, Lisa, and I have been by her side helping her in any way I can. Kayla’s fight started February 8, 2017, she was 26 years old at the time. When diagnosed Riley was 3 yrs old and Scarlett was 10 months old. Kayla was working as a 911 dispatcher at the time. She started having terrible headaches and dizziness and she thought it was stress headaches. This went on for a couple months until she had to go to the emergency room and they did a cat scan. The scan showed a large tumor in her brain and severe swelling to the point she had a mid line shift (her brain was swelling and pushing  so much it had pushed into her left side of brain.) She was sent to UK and the next day they performed surgery to remove tumor.  She was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor called a Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma (PXA). After surgery to remove tumor she was monitored with no other treatment. 6 months after 1st surgery the tumor had came back and bigger. So September  19, 2017 another surgery was performed to remove tumor. This was tested and sent to 3 different hospitals. The second tumor was called a PXA by University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center. The Mayo Clinic and Vanderbilt hospital test came back as a Glioblastoma, a very aggressive brain cancer. She started radiation soon after surgery and chemo. She finished radiation right before Christmas in 2017 and continued chemo. Every 2 months she had MRIs to watch the cancer. It was growing back. The radiation and chemo wasn’t working. June of 2018 she started a clinical trial at Markey Cancer Center. DSP-7888 and Avastin. The first MRI after starting trial showed improvement and the cancer was shrinking. She continued this trial for over a year with success. August, 2019 she had her 1st seizure and was flown to University of Kentucky hospital. October-November 2019 her blood work came back that the trial drugs was causing kidney failure and she would have to slow the drugs down. The tumor started growing back when chemo was slowed down. December 13, 2019 she had her 3rd brain surgery to remove tumor and January 13, 2020 started chemo once again. Her 2nd seizure occurred at home January 12 and wasn’t as severe as the first. So right now she is on chemo every day 3 weeks a month and off 1 week. Her next MRI is in March. She is having a lot of side effects from chemo and it is a daily struggle for her. Severe Nausea, body aches, severe tiredness and she is always cold and just can’t get warm. Even with all of this she is still doing daily activities as much as possible.   Most people would never know her struggle or that anything is even wrong by looking at her. She has been so strong through all of this and fought with everything she has. .This cancer is evil and the prognosis isn’t good at all, (12-15 months) but she has beat the odds so far. We pray for a miracle to find a cure, to find something to hold this monster Glioblastoma back so she can watch her kids grow up and live a long happy life. So many have prayed for her and we appreciate each prayer, each thought, each thing everyone has done since this has started. Thank you so much! Keep praying! God Bless each one of you.
It breaks my heart to update this...Kayla passed away March 15,2020. She fought until the very end. Life will never be the same without her💔

Newest Update

Journal entry by Lisa Powell

Good Friday is here. Oh how Mary must have felt? Her Son being crucified on the cross. We should all remember what a sacrifice Jesus made for us and the pain it surely caused his mother. All for us and our sins! But yet look around the world today. Sins & evil are out of control and taking our world! I pray for better times! I’m glad Kayla hasn’t had to see some of the evil of this world. I miss her dearly. Not a minute goes by that I don’t miss her. March 15th made 2 years she has been gone. Still no cure for GBM! So many are suffering. My opinion they don’t want to find a cure. That would mean less money if they cured it! Why would we spend so much money to study stupid things in this world that we do?!? We have all heard of the silly research done on stuff that doesn’t matter. We have people starving in our own small towns & we continue to fund wars for other countries. I said what I said… everything is just frivolous & that’s what the devil wants! If you have ever lost a child well you think of this stuff more maybe. “Little stuff” just doesn’t matter anymore! Every persons “little stuff” is different but we all have it! 
I got off track, sorry! Lol I tend to do that sometimes. 
Wishing everyone a Happy Easter! Hug those loved ones extra & spend time with them as much as possible. We are not promised tomorrow. 
I miss you Kayla Jo, if only I could just talk to you one more time, hold your hand or us go for a drive…that would be so great! I’m taking care of business down here for you as best I can. Riley & Scarlett are growing up so fast! It’s not been easy without you at all! They miss you!!
God Bless everyone
Patients and caregivers love hearing from you; add a comment to show your support.
Help Kayla Stay Connected to Family and Friends

A $30 donation to CaringBridge powers a site like Kayla's site for one month. Will you make a gift to help ensure that this site stays online for them and for you?

Comments Hide comments

Show Your Support

See the Ways to Help page to get even more involved.

SVG_Icons_Back_To_Top
Top