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On August 19, 2023, 4-year-old Jonathan was taken to the ER for what his parents thought was a urinary infection. Over the next few hours, they learned that their son Jonathan had a 10.2 cm mass on his right kidney. He was transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to plan surgery and develop a plan with their oncologists.

On August 24, Jonathan had surgery to remove the tumor. His right kidney had to be removed as well due to the size of the tumor and how it was attached to the kidney. The biopsy results of the mass and kidney showed that he has Stage 2 Diffuse Anaplastic Wilms Tumor. Although the Wilms tumor itself has a high cure rate, the type of Wilms tumor Jonathan has is considered much more aggressive and difficult to treat. At this point, he has already received four rounds of chemotherapy and completed 6 rounds of radiation, in addition to receiving two blood transfusions. He will continue chemotherapy for at least the next 30 weeks.

The family currently travels back and forth weekly from Northern NJ to Philadelphia for Jonathan’s treatments, with intermittent stays at the hospital for treatment in between.

Jonathan’s mother Melissa, who is also fighting her own battle with Multiple Sclerosis since 2010, is now unable to work due to the intense treatment schedule and to care for him and his 7-year-old brother Joseph, which has created a financial burden on the family. His father Joe has been a Correctional Police Officer with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department for the past 17 years and a member of PBA Local 134.