Payton's Mom Shares The Sweet Letter She Wrote Him

Meet Bert's Big Adventure kid, Payton aka Pjo! In April 2019, Pjo’s mom and dad feared something was wrong. His mom, Deidra, got a call from Pjo’s school that he had another fever (he was having them frequently), so they took him to Children’s for testing. She was in such a fog that Deidre doesn’t remember the conversation in the ER that night and can only remember that he was diagnosed with a mass on his spine- Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that forms in certain types of nerve tissue. It most frequently starts from one of the adrenal glands but can also develop in the neck, chest, abdomen, or spine. Pjo immediately started an aggressive round of treatment- including port placement and biopsy, 6 months of chemo, tumor resection, radiation, 2 stem cell transplants, proton radiation, 6 months of immunotherapy (cancer-free three months in!) port removal, and then 3 months on a trial drug to hopefully help prevent relapse. Unfortunately, Pjo relapsed. From February through November of 2021, Pjo started his second full round of aggressive treatment- starting all over again. However, thankfully, he is currently in a CHOA trial maintenance therapy that seems to be going well. Pjo has significant hearing loss, his left eye gets infected easily (because of the radiation), he has asthma and kidney damage because of such rigorous treatment. From Deidra’s perspective, COVID has limited access to playrooms, etc. within the hospital and things that used to make it easier/more fun to be there. She also has a lack of time to be with other parents who “get it” because of COVID and being restricted in getting together. Before the start of the pandemic, Payton received Make-A-Wish granting him a Disney Cruise vacation, first-class flights to and from Orlando for his family, and a day spent swimming with dolphins. However, his wish was pushed back several times because of COVID-19 and his immunocompromised state while he was in treatment. Eventually, Payton’s family decided it made more sense to swap his wish for a camper so they could enjoy social-distanced family time. When GAMOA heard about this, they really wanted to make magic happen and grant this sweet child his original wish of flying first-class and swimming with the dolphins! Once in Disney, GAMOA is sending a limo to pick up Payton and his family to take them for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Discovery Cove. Discovery Cove is a unique all-inclusive day resort where you and your family will experience exciting animal encounters in a breathtaking tropical atmosphere. Payton and his family will get to snorkel with thousands of tropical fish, float through a relaxing lazy river, meet curious animal ambassadors or sunbathe on white sandy beaches. The family also has an exclusive private cabana for the day- so they can enjoy their day in paradise! The VIP Cabana service includes towel service, snacks, and a mini-fridge! And the best part is, Payton will get “nose to bottlenose” with a new friend during a one-on-one dolphin encounter. The signature dolphin swim experience begins with your group meeting a dolphin in one of their crystal clear swimming areas. Next, one of the animal care specialists will teach you all about dolphin habits, behaviors, their incredible communication abilities, and the relationships they build on a daily basis with these incredible animals. After that, each group member will get a chance to individually interact with a dolphin and learn about that dolphin’s personality through behaviors. We’ve even arranged for a personalized buoy delivery during your signature dolphin swim and our friends at Endeavor Air have graciously saved First-Class seating for Payton and his family! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-bert-show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices