Please meet Cylus.
At just a tender age, he has already been asked to fight a battle no child should ever face. Cylus was diagnosed with High Risk Neuroblastoma, an aggressive and rare form of childhood cancer. For his parents, the nightmare began in what seemed like an ordinary way: Cylus complained of a simple stomach ache. They thought perhaps it was something minor, maybe a stomach bug, or just a child’s fleeting discomfort. But what started as something so small spiraled into something unimaginable. Tests revealed a large tumor on his liver. And not only that—it had already metastasized, spreading into his lungs and bone marrow.
From that moment, life for Cylus and his family changed forever.
For the past 3.5 months, Cylus has been enduring treatment with courage beyond his years. He has already completed four rounds of chemotherapy, each one leaving its toll yet offering hope that the cancer could be pushed back. His family clung to every piece of good news, to every sign that the treatment was making a difference. And recently, they faced one of the biggest hurdles yet: surgery to remove the tumor.
His mother shared an update that captures both the triumph and heartbreak of this journey:
“I have hesitated posting an update since yesterday because a lot has happened & we are in shock. Cylus did pull through surgery, but there were some serious complications that occurred. I will post more updates as they become available, but currently our sweetheart is fully intubated in the ICU where he was transferred from the OR & he remains today.
His original tumor resection was successful, his tumor responded to chemo & has died. During the resection for his liver, he suffered a major blood vessel tear & lost all 5 units of his blood supply. The doctors were prepared & able to immediately re-supply his blood loss with blood products & repair the tear but due to this he has fluid in his lungs & remains fully intubated/sedated until this decreases.
The tear was a result of finding additional nodules in his liver that descended so far into this section of his liver that when resecting them, created a hole in his major blood vessel. I will explain in greater detail as we learn more or when things change, he is stable, but the joy of learning his tumor has died has been overshadowed by this life threatening event he has experienced. Please pray for him, pray for us. Yesterday was nothing short of traumatic. We are blessed by the doctors acting quickly to save our son’s life once more. I hate you, cancer. I have no more words right now.”
Her words reveal the cruel reality of childhood cancer: moments of hope and victory immediately followed by fear and uncertainty. While the surgery confirmed that the tumor had indeed responded to chemotherapy—it had “died”—the family’s relief was overshadowed by the harrowing complication that nearly took Cylus’s life.
Now, Cylus lies in the ICU, sedated and intubated, his small body surrounded by machines that breathe for him and monitor every heartbeat. His parents sit by his side, clinging to his hand, whispering words of love, and praying with every ounce of their strength. They are exhausted, heartbroken, but they will not stop fighting for their son.
This journey is far from over. Cancer has stolen so much from this family already—peace of mind, normal childhood days, the innocence of carefree living—but it has not stolen their hope, nor their fierce love for Cylus. They are asking for prayers, for love, for everyone who hears his story to join in lifting him up.
Please, keep Cylus in your thoughts. Send prayers, healing energy, and every bit of love you can. His battle is not yet won, but with faith, with the skill of his doctors, and with the support of a community that refuses to give up on him, there is hope.
For Cylus. 💔