Gigi's Journey: A Story of Courage and Community

Meet Becky and Gigi

Introducing Becky, a dedicated single mother raising four wonderful children. Life was sailing smoothly until a sudden health crisis struck her youngest daughter, Gianna (affectionately known as Gigi). At 16 years old, Gigi is a bright, compassionate, and adventurous teenager with a passion for soccer and singing. She's the type of teenager who fearlessly embraces new challenges and excels at almost everything she attempts.

A Surprising Diagnosis

Behind Gigi's cheerful exterior, she has been silently battling severe acid reflux and vomiting. Initially thought to be cyclic vomiting syndrome, the reality turned out to be a rare and challenging diagnosis — Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. Gigi's condition includes a malignant gastrinoma on her pancreas that has metastasized to her liver and local lymph nodes. With only 1% of cases diagnosed in pediatric patients, the uncertainty surrounding her future and treatment is daunting.

Gigi’s Treatment Journey

Currently, Gigi is under the care of doctors at Children's and has begun a twice-daily injection of Octreotide, aiming to alleviate symptoms and potentially slow the growth of the tumors. The next steps may involve radiopharmaceutical treatment through IV to shrink the growth, followed by surgery to remove the largest mass on her pancreas.

Recent Updates

Recently, Gigi's journey took another turn. They were able to stabilize her enough to move her to the Cancer and Blood Disease unit, a significant step forward. Despite the roller coaster of emotions and health challenges, Becky and Gigi have been focusing on making memories to treasure forever. Unfortunately, Gigi has also had to endure some very tough times, including a recent stay in the ICU.

Despite these challenges, Gigi remains incredibly resilient. The tumors have started producing ACTH, which causes the adrenal glands to produce excessive cortisol. While cortisol is beneficial in short bursts, prolonged high levels can wreak havoc on the body, causing symptoms like high glucose levels, insomnia, brain fog, mood swings, muscle loss, and bone fragility. Despite these challenges, Gigi continues to display remarkable strength, kindness, and positivity.

When Gigi has a bit of strength, she enjoys walks and soaking up the sun. Recently, she had a picc line placed due to the high levels of IV fluids needed to keep her electrolytes balanced. Though she was nervous, the procedure went well and has been a significant improvement over traditional IVs.

A Community of Support

During this challenging time, Becky, who has had to go part-time at work, is deeply grateful for the support from the community. The Do Good Mission has been instrumental in providing much-needed assistance, raising close to $28,000 for the family. These funds help alleviate the financial burden of reduced work hours and medical expenses, allowing Becky to focus on supporting Gigi through her treatments.