Taylor Thoman Updates!

August 2006

Hi there!  

There is currently an activation for my daughter Taylor who has cancer.   I have a cute photo of her playing with a 911 cares teddy bear that you sent her.      

Thanks again for all your organization has done for our family.

Diana Thoman

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June 2006

We just received a 911 CARES check. I can't believe how nice people are to someone they haven't even met.

I want to say thank you from our entire family, every bit of financial support helps with our travels & expenses.   I will definitely be sending thank you's to the people & agencies that donated.  

Thanks for the teddy bears too - both kids love them!  

I noticed on the 911 cares website that there are direct links to those that have caring bridge sites.   Taylor has another website through www.carepages.com.    The password to her account is TaylorThoman.   Would it be possible to set up a link so people can read more of her story there?   It is updated often and has the most current information.   We just finished the last round of chemo, wahoo!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, thanks again, and if that link can be set up that would be awesome.

Diana Thoman

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April 2006

To send cards, letters or goodies to Taylor:
Make donation checks to Diana Thoman

Taylor Grace Thoman
103 E SETTLER RD
SARATOGA SPRINGS, UT 84043
United States
801-766-0651

Diana Thoman:  cdthoman@msn.com

Here are some updates on Taylor and her family:

April 26, 2006 at 10:23 AM MDT

Just an update for those following along with Taylor's progress. On Monday at CHLA her labs showed her platelets were up, but now her ANC (absolute neutrophil count) was too low for chemo. We figured out a plan to get her chemo back in Utah at PCMC - hopefully next Mon & Tues if she is ready. She can get this chemo here this time because she didn't have an injection in her eyes at her last exam. Usually we do it in LA because when the injection is done, she has to have chemo the very same day.

We were able to get a flight home on Monday night. It was so neat to see Taylor and Kyle greet each other when we got home. Taylor kept bouncing up and down and kissing (licking) his face, then she found one of Kyle's toes poking out of his PJ's and she sucked on that! Weird way to greet each other but they seemed happy! Kyle was sleepy so it took him a while to realize his sister was back. Then he surprised us by walking - he had just started to take a few steps before we left but now he is cruising everywhere. He seems really glad we're home although now he has to share his toys again.

April 20, 2006 at 02:29 PM MDT

We're in LA again, and this time things didn't go as planned. Taylor's platelets are too low for a chemo injection in the eyes, and too low for regular chemo today - but not low enough for a transfusion. This is somewhat normal, as her body is just taking longer to recover after each chemo treatment. Her platelets will keep coming up on their own over the next few days.

She did go in for an EUA (exam under anesthesia) with Dr. Murphree and he took pictures of her tumors. Not much has changed since the last visit but they look fine. She has had a little nausea this time after anesthesia, and her eyes are very sensitive to light as they are still very dilated and taking a while to go to normal. So the plan now is to do chemo next Monday & Tuesday and we'll fly home Wednesday. At her next visit in May, the Dr. will do the last injection in the eyes, and she'll have her last round of chemo treatment. We're excited that almost 5 out of 6 are done!

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March 17, 2006 at 09:36 AM MST

Taylor has had two transfusions this week, one of platelets on Tuesday then red cells on Thursday. It is amazing how different she is after getting the red cells, she has so much more energy & spunk. She is covered in bruises that she got when her platelets were low, hopefully those will heal soon. She will turn 1 next week on March 22nd! Our next trip out to LA is March 28-April 1st.

10 March 07, 2006 at 02:02 PM MST

Feb 27th we flew to LA again, this time with Taylor and Kyle. We had taken three pictures of Kyle which showed a suspicious white "glow" from one eye. Dr. Murphree examined him and he does not have any tumors. (The glow happens sometimes when someone is looking to the side and not facing the camera). Anyway, good news that Kyle's eyes are fine, but we will continue to have him examined until we get his genetic tests results.

Taylor 's labs showed she was low on red cells, so she had a transfusion on Feb 28th in LA, then we had March 1st free with no appointments! It was so nice to have a day together with us all feeling pretty good. The weather was beautiful so we took a taxi to the LA Zoo at Griffith Park . We spent hours walking around in the sunshine and it felt so good.

Then back to reality. Thursday March 2nd Taylor had eye surgery, this time the Dr. injected chemo right into both eyes to attack the tumors. The tumors have gotten a bit smaller since last time, and where the tumors are dying there are scars forming, like calcium deposits that will be there permanently. Taylor then had IV chemo right after surgery, and had a little reaction which gave her a temp of 103 degrees, and her heart rate was fast at 177. Finally that all got got back to normal so she didn't have to be admitted. More chemo on Friday which went fine, then we all flew home on Saturday.

Today Taylor seems to be doing really well, she has only vomited once since we got back. She is taking Zofran for nausea which really helps. Her eyes are red & swollen which is normal, and we put eye drops in four times a day. She and Kyle both have colds so they have runny noses, coughing & sneezing... can't wait til that has passed! Our next visit is in four weeks, which means she won't have to be having surgery on her birthday so we are excited !!

9 February 24, 2006 at 10:29 AM MST

Yesterday's labs showed Taylor 's platelets were at 8,000 which is WAY low, so Mom took her to Primary Children's Hospital for another transfusion. They checked them again afterward and they were up to 96,000 which is awesome! (Good donor??) Everything else looked ok and rising, so we got to quit giving the GCSF injection at home til after the next round of chemo. And yes, Taylor waved to all the Doctors and Nurses. She seems to wave whenever she is happy, while she is getting her diaper changed, playing, eating or whatever so maybe it's not a "hello" or "goodbye" wave.

Original activation:

Taylor Thoman - 9 months old

911 Cares Supporters,

911 CARES asks for your help with a Dispatcher Family in Need. This request comes from VECC (Salt Lake City Region) 9-1-1

“We have an employee named Diana Thoman that has worked for the Center for nearly 15 years. Her husband, Chuck, is a Sandy Police Officer. Last March Diana gave birth to darling twins – a boy named Kyle & a girl named Taylor . Within a few months they found out that Kyle had cystic fibrosis. Of course that requires a lot of doctor visits, training for them to provide Kyle's care, etc. They were just getting all that figured out when the next challenge was discovered.

Their beautiful little daughter, Taylor, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. We know that the cancer is limited to the tumors & has not invaded her brain or spinal cord. Children's Hospital of Los Angeles is the closest facility that provides the cutting-edge treatment that Taylor needs. The Thomans must travel there from Utah every three weeks for chemo. After six chemo treatments, they will still need to travel to LA for follow-up exams under anesthesia every three weeks, for the next two years, to make sure that the tumors are not recurring.

They have been able to utilize Angel Flights & the Ronald McDonald house, but as you can imagine, that is just the tip of the iceberg financially. I am hoping that you will be able to rally financial help and support for the Thomans.”

Diana had taken her twins in for their 9 month immunizations and “well baby” checkups. The pediatrician did a “red reflex” eye test on Taylor and referred them immediately to a pediatric ophthalmologist. It was determined that Taylor has retinoblastoma, which is cancer in both eyes. This type of cancer is always malignant. The Thomans were referred to an expert who specializes in this cancer at the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles .

The tumors are rated from A to E, E being the worst. After testing Taylor, the tumors in both of her eyes are rated D. Right now she can only see light from her left eye but has good vision in the right eye. She will have 6 rounds of chemo and then laser surgery. If this treatment works, she may or may not regain vision in her left eye, they cannot tell until the tumors shrink. If the tumors cannot be killed with this treatment they would remove her eyes and she would have prosthetic eyes put in. She will need at least 25 eye exams under anesthesia over the next two years as they need to check the growth of the tumors often.

Taylor is a fighter! The nurses in post-op have never seen a baby fight so hard as she did when she came out of anesthesia. Her twin brother Kyle is staying with Grandma while mom and dad are with her in California during her treatments and tests. Diana would like everyone to think positive thoughts as they are, as 98% of children with this type of cancer survive the cancer itself, it is just a matter of getting the treatment to save her life first, then trying to save her eyes second.

Any assistance you are able to provide would be very much appreciated by Diana, Chuck, and most of all, Taylor.

Donations can be mailed to the following address. Please make checks payable to Diana and Charles Thoman.

Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center (VECC)
5360 South Ridge Village Drive
West Valley City , Utah 84118
ATTN: Manager Geana Randall
VECC: Agency phone is 801-840-4017.

Support and prayers for Taylor and her family can be sent to:

cdthoman@msn.com .

Note from 911 CARES:

This need has been verified and we ask that you consider making a direct donation via mailing a check directly to the address listed below. You can also make a donation by calling 911 CARES at 800-348-8911 and make sure you ask the money goes to the Thoman family fund. We accept VISA, Master Card and American Express. We will also add a direct link on our shopping site at www.911cares.com Any financial assistance would be greatly appreciated to help Diana and Chuck with Taylor 's continued treatment in Los Angeles, California for the next two years.

Additionally, ANY order made at www.911cares.com between now and February 17th will help the Thoman family. We will contribute 20% of all sales made from ANY Utah address during that period!

VECC:
Agency phone is 801-840-4017.

911 Cares
www.pstc911.com www.911cares.com
650-591-7911 x 103