Carter was born on December 7, 2004 at 5:27 p.m. weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 9 ozs. He was perfectly healthy at birth and is still a very healthy baby. At around 2 months I noticed a couple of "birthmarks" on his legs. I mentioned them to the doctor at his 2 month appointment. The doctor was not concerned at the time and said that we had no need to worry unless he had more than 6 "spots". Over the next month I kept noticing additional spots. By his 3 month appointment he had approximately 10 spots. Dr. Altomare referred us to a geneticist.We saw Dr. Arn at Nemours Children's Clinic in April and were given the details of Neurofibromatosis 1. (You can find out more about this disorder by visiting the Children's Tumor Foundation Website www.ctf.org ) This disorder is very unpredictable therefore all we could do was to wait. Carter would see specialists for various things to monitor his development and to check for other manifestations of this disorder. In February of 2006 Carter saw Dr. Hammond a Neurologist at Nemours for a baseline exam. Which was suppose to be something to compare future exams to. Dr. Hammond saw some issues with Carter's eyes that concerned him and scheduled an MRI for the next day. The results of the MRI showed that Carter had an Optic Nerve Glioma, which in Carter's case meant that he had tumors wrapped around both optic nerves and also the chiasm (the area where the nerves cross). Once we had this diagnosis we saw Dr. Bradfield the Oncologist who was anxious to get started on treatment because Carter's vision had already been affected. Carter will have chemotherapy once a week for 21 months beginning March 9, 2006. Carter has been in treatment for the Optic Glioma for 10 months. He has done very well in all aspects of his treatment. We have managed to avoid the hospital for the most part with the exception of his stay in March for the hydrocephalus and our ER visit in June for a fever. Our little trooper has come through the past several months with amazing strength. He is certainly an inspiration to us all. We still have a long road ahead of us, but trust that God will walk with us each step of the way and bring us out on the other side with more faith in Him, a stronger family unit, and many more friends than we had before.
01/2007
Carter continues to do very well and is now making greater strides in his development. He began walking in January 2007 at 25 months of age. He does have significant vision loss due to the tumors, which has held him back developmentally in the past. He seems to be adjusting to his vision which has allowed him to make progress in his physical development.
As we approach the 1 year anniversary of his diagnoses and start to chemo, we can't help but look at that day as the day we found our Carter. Since Carter's diagnoses and beginning to his treatment he has become a strong, vibrant, funny, sweet little boy with an amazing personality. We are looking forward to his continued growth and all the new things that comes with that.
Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24
We never need to be without hope. For as we look into the future with the eyes of faith we will see that God is already there. - Roy Lessin
Neurofibromatosis causes tumors to grow anywhere on or in the body. At the present time there is no known cure for NF. However, researchers worldwide are working towards the development of more effective treatments and hopefully someday a cure. Ryan, Shaye and I have joined the NF Marathon Team to help find a cure through research. We will be running many races including the Gate River Run on March 10, 2007. In order to reach our goal of $The Cure.00 we need your help. We are collecting donations to sponsor “TEAM CARTER”.
Ways you can donate:
Make a donation on this website by clicking on the "SPONSOR NOW" button at the top of this page.
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Contact me at sands143@comcast.net for a donation slip to mail a check made payable to:
Children’s Tumor Foundation
95 Pine Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10269-0741
(A completed donor form must accompany each donation. )
Another way you can help: Forward this website to your friends and family or anyone that may be interested in donating.
POINTS TO REMEMBER: Please check to see if your employer has a “Matching Gifts” program and see if our program qualifies. This could help to double or triple your contribution!
Your contribution benefits the Children’s Tumor Foundation and is a tax deductible donation. Please give generously; your contribution will help support research, public education, and patient support efforts which will make a significant difference in Carter’s life as well as many others.
“You never know which dollar will fund the cure for NF.”
Forward this website to your friends and family or anyone that may be interested in donating.
We are running to raise money for research advancement: our ultimate finish line is to help solve the NF Puzzle. Your contribution means so much to us. We are truly blessed to have family and friends that care so much. Thank you for your support.
Ryan, Shawna, Shaye and Carter
If you want to read Carter’s story visit his website www.caringbridge.org/visit/carterrichardson
If you want to read more about Neurofibromatosis visit the Children’s Tumor Foundation website www.ctf.org.