Alicia Wyatt and friends have organized a sale of homemade tacos and burritos to help ease travel expenses for Caide Timmons’ radiation treatments.
Caide, the 2 1/2-year-old son of Brandon and Tiffany Timmons, was diagnosed with Type 2 ependymona in February of this year. Caide began receiving radiation treatments Tuesday at a health center in Overland Park. He will receive the treatments on an outpatient basis five days a week for six weeks.
Caide had been suffering from what a doctor misdiagnosed as flu, something that the Timmonses also assumed. After seeing no improvement in Caide’s condition, the family went back to the doctor for a fourth office call. The doctor who saw him on that day witnessed an episode that the boy’s parents had seen too many times.
“He became real lethargic, kind of dizzy, off-balance, and she thought it might be something neurological, so they ordered a CT scan and found a mass, and it was bigger than a baseball,” Brandon Timmons said. “They prepared us for the worst. Before we went down there, we didn’t know whether he would make it or not.”
The family went to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, where doctors found that the tumor was growing near the base of Caide’s skull around the brain stem, which controls the brain’s communication with the body, and down to the third vertebrae on his back, Timmons said. It was six inches long and larger in diameter than a baseball.
“It was within his skull,” Timmons said. “It was like a finger that went down into his vertebra.”
There was nothing outside his body, however, that could be seen by his parents.
A top pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Gregory Hornig, performed the surgery.
“They got the entire tumor in his first surgery,” Timmons said. “We owe it all to that guy, and Children’s Mercy was awesome. We didn’t have to worry about anything while we were up there.”
Caide has made good progress since his month-long hospital stay, despite some complications he had to overcome.
“He’s had a pretty tough road,” Caide’s father said. “He’s had an external shunt to drain the cerebral spinal fluid. Because of the location of the tumor, it was putting pressure on his spinal cord where you drain your cerebral spinal fluid.”
The passage had become blocked and was not draining. Doctors installed an internal shunt, which got infected and prompted a return to Children’s Mercy Hospital.
After the infection was overcome, Caide received a temporary “pick” that allows him to be sedated for radiation treatments. The pick must be flushed every day, and Caide no longer is taking any medications.
“He’s actually getting around better than he was before,” Timmons said.
His doctor estimated the boy had the slow-growing tumor for approximately two years.
“The ironic thing is that I actually work at the Cancer Center here in Emporia. That’s the crazy part,” Timmons said.
His wife, Tiffany, had quit work to stay home with the children and prepare their daughter to start school next year. The change in routine has been a boon for the family and Caide’s treatments.
Brandon Timmons already used his carryover vacation time and this year’s as well.
“Luckily, she isn’t working, so she can take Caide up to do his radiation,” he said. “I’m tapped out now, so I can’t go and do the radiation with them.”
The expenses of traveling well over 200 miles a day, however, are not easily absorbed, and that is where Wyatt and friends enter the picture.
Wyatt wants to help by providing travel money for the daily trips, and is hopeful that she and her friends from 12th Avenue Baptist Church, including Caide’s mother and grandmother, can cook and assemble enough of the authentic Mexican foods to raise $1,000.
“I just thought it would be something I could do for them,” Wyatt said. “Everybody likes to eat. I don’t have a lot of money, but I can do something for them.”
Wyatt sent out an e-mail to other friends, notifying them of her intention and mentioning the costs: $12 for a half-dozen tacos or burritos and $24 for a dozen.
The e-mails, forwarded on as e-mailers do, already have brought orders for 40 dozen of the 50 dozen she estimates will need to be sold. With that encouragement, she’s trying for more orders.
“Long story short, it touches my heart because my kids have had medical issues themselves,” Wyatt said. “I just kind of feel that God has given me some resources that nobody knows. I kind of gave them some (of those) resources.”
Orders may be placed by e-mailing Wyatt at aliciawytt@yahoo.com, or calling her at 343-0328. Wyatt does not include an “a” in the “wytt” portion of her e-mail address. The food will be delivered or available for pick-up on April 26.
hottopics (anonymous) says...
These are really great people. I hope we have a great response to this request. They were very honest when they found a dog that had been stolen then escaped from the theives. Five days after housing the little guy they called a number and he was returned to his best friend, a 5 yr old girl.
God Bless This family and their son.
April 16, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Renegade (anonymous) says...
hottopics, and everyone.....
I spoke to Alicia today and she has been getting orders, and donations from the community.
She still needs tortilla's...(soft taco size) and aluminum foil (heavy duty) and large ziplock bags.
If you can donate any of these items ....please send her an email. She has received donations from several stores...(WAL MART turned her down!)
Alicia is requesting e-mails. It's easier for her to organize and keep track of orders and donations.
aliciawytt@yahoo.com
April 17, 2008 at 4:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Thanks for the information, Renegade. I ordered a dozen tacos and then called Gary @ Reebles to make arrangements for Alicia to get a gift certificate so she can go in and pick up the tortillas, or foil or whatever she needs for this project.
Sooooo...Walmart turned her down did they? Well, that's one more reason why I shop at Reebles. Bless you, Gary!
God bless this family and their son. Special blessings on Alicia too for being so generous with her time and cooking ability.
April 17, 2008 at 5:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Renegade (anonymous) says...
Thank you Create...I knew you'd be here! :-) to help out..
Yeah...Wal Mart turned her down!
I hope the community will join in and help Alicia, for Caide Timmons and his family.
There are a lot of good hearts in Emporia, and none bigger than Alicia's.
Thank you, Bobbi Mlyner, for sharing this story.
Lets stop complaining about the small stuff,for a while, when there is a little boy, and his family, in our community that needs our help.
April 17, 2008 at 6:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
brad_3178 (anonymous) says...
may god bless little caiden and family
April 18, 2008 at 10:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
HEY EVERYBODY. This lady Alicia has all the tacos ready and lots of people who ordered aren't picking them up. Give her a call if you ordered and forgot. Or if you want some.
From the original story: "Orders may be placed by e-mailing Wyatt at aliciawytt@yahoo.com, or calling her at 343-0328. Wyatt does not include an “a” in the “wytt” portion of her e-mail address. The food will be delivered or available for pick-up on April 26."
April 26, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )