Charlan believes that miracles are everywhere. And right now, she’s dreaming of a miracle for her son, Rowan. 

Rowan is known throughout his middle school for his kindness. He loves playing trombone for the school band, playing his Nintendo Switch, and playing games with his little brother, Jacob. For the past four years, he has been doing all this while in treatment for medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. But side effects from his treatment have made it difficult for him to do the things he loves at times. Things like moving his body, communicating with others and even learning new things can be a struggle, but Rowan always finds a way to keep going. 

Rowan was 8 years old when he started having nausea spells. His pediatrician and urgent care doctor suggested everything from over-the-counter medication to seeing a counselor for possible anxiety – but nothing worked. Rowan continued throwing up for days until his family found answers at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta-Scottish Rite Emergency Room.

Help kids like Rowan this Giving Tuesday

A CT scan revealed a blockage the size of a golf ball under his cerebellum. His parents were thankful that he was asleep when they broke the news, but there was no hiding it – Rowan had a brain tumor which would later be identified as medulloblastoma. He needed immediate surgery to drain the fluid in his brain, followed by another neurosurgery to remove the tumor.  

As a consequence of his surgery, Rowan spent the next several weeks relearning how to walk and talk. Thankfully, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) was there with the Travel For Care program to help alleviate the financial burden of their commute, driving an extra hour every day for proton radiation treatment and chemotherapy in Atlanta traffic. Travel For Care is a program that provides families with financial assistance to help their kids reach the right treatment, regardless of the distance.

Unfortunately, Rowan’s miracle didn’t come from his first round of treatment. Two years after his diagnosis, Rowan’s doctors discovered another type of brain tumor, this time, a high-grade glioma. His medical team wanted to do some genetic testing to better understand the development of his second type of cancer. That’s when Rowan reached his third terrifying diagnosis: Li Fraumeni Syndrome, a genetic predisposition to cancer.

He continued in treatment and with repeated neurosurgeries. Midway through his sixth grade year,  the medulloblastoma recurred. 

But his family is still holding onto hope for a miracle.

“Medical improvements of today are miracles in comparison to what was available even 25 years ago,” Charlan says.  

Today, Rowan is 12 years old, in seventh grade, and still fighting. “That Rowan has continued to not just survive but thrive beyond medulloblastoma at 8, a high-grade glioma at 10, and is currently making A’s and B’s in accelerated classes at 12 despite recurrent medulloblastoma is miraculous,” says Charlan.

Charlan and his dad, Bob, like to picture a future where their son’s story will inspire the next generation of childhood cancer heroes. One where Rowan can continue living his life to the fullest and growing into a good man. But to see this dream become a reality, they’ll need some help from the scientific community, organizations like ALSF, and everyone with the power to fund childhood cancer research.  

“I hope the future of childhood cancer is nonexistent, because the miracle cure for the root cause is discovered, developed and delivered to all who need it,” says Charlan. 

Let's Raise $100,000 for Kids with Cancer, Together

December 2 is Giving Tuesday and we have a big goal. It only takes $50 to fund an hour of research, and every hour gives kids more time for their cures to be found. Give today and ALDI will generously match all online donations made to Giving Tuesday fundraisers for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (up to $100,000)! You can make a difference!