Disney trips, celebrity meetings and other grand adventures usually top the list when 6-year-old boys with cancer are approached by wish-granting organizations.
Liam Whitworth, of Doylestown, asked for a baby sister.
And she is on the way.
Liam has named his baby sister, Zoey, and their story is one that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
It’s the story about a young family facing life’s toughest challenges – childhood cancer and infertility – and yet staying as open and positive to each day’s blessings.
“Liam gets us through because, honestly, this child has never complained one time,” said mom Breanna. “He has never fought going to the hospital. He always has a smile on his face. The only time you might catch him being upset is if he is asked to get a needle.”
Liam & Mom announce the arrival of baby sister. Credit: Julie Kruft Photography
Liam was a miracle baby for Breanna and Kyle, who have struggled with infertility.
As he grew, he kept life fun with his imagination, his love of kitties and cats, baseball, bowling and golf – “an old soul” in a young body, said Breanna.
Liam started having ear issues in June 2022, and was diagnosed with numerous ear infections. About a month later, he woke up from a nap with blood coming out of his ear. They were off to the ER.
A CT scan showed a 5.7 centimeter mass coming out of his right ear canal, and Liam was admitted to Akron Children’s. The next day, an MRI confirmed it was a tumor and a day later, just three days before his 5th birthday, he had surgery to remove part of the mass. Tests confirmed the tumor was a rhabdomyosarcoma.
Liam was the guest of honor at the Akron RubberDucks game on May 3, throwing out the first pitch, meeting the players & getting to hang out in the broadcast booth.
Liam got to celebrate his birthday at home and began chemotherapy two weeks later.
As he sank deeper into the world of “chronic childhood illness” – proton radiation, ports, G-tube placements and the like, he began to refer to the bad thing in his right ear as “King Rhabdo.”
“King Rhabdo is my enemy,” he said. “He blocked me from hearing.”
His story became more and more elaborate, with Breanna and Kyle realizing this was a good way to relate to Liam and explain his medical condition in a way he understood.
For example, chemotherapy was a “potion” entering his body to help the soldiers destroy King Rhabdo.
Later, Dr. Anne Elliott, a pediatric palliative care physician, would see that the family was a perfect consult for Nicole Robinson, Akron Children’s narrative medicine coordinator, who is helping Liam create his own book about King Rhabdo.
Liam’s illustration of King Rhabdo was made into t-shirts declaring “Overthrowing King Rhabdo One Potion at a Time”
Flash ahead to March 2023, and Breanna and Kyle signed Liam up with the “Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“On his first phone call, they asked, ‘What do you think you want your wish to be? And he said, ‘I want a baby sister!’” said Breanna, laughing. “And the woman said, ‘Well, that’s between your mom and your dad.’”
It was only after getting pregnant with Liam that Breanna and Kyle learned just how much they defied the infertility odds. They only had one percent chance of getting pregnant on their own with him.
They began trying to have another baby when Liam was one year old without success. They began vitamins, IUI, IVF – “all the things they told us to do,” said Breanna.
They even sold a house to fund a round of IVF only to learn none of their embryos made it to survival.
They were put on a donation list created for families who have grown their families to the size they want and have extra embryos to donate.
“When we got on that list in November 2021, we were told it could be anywhere from 2 to 5 years,” Breanna said.
One day, while at her parents’ farm, Liam held up two dandelions intertwined, said he was making a “secret” wish for double babies.
Liam makes his dandelion wish.
While two babies were not in their future, Breanna believes Liam’s dandelion wish foreshadowed an array of good news to come.
“Everything from that moment fell into place,” she said.
Breanna and Kyle received notification that their multi-years wait for an embryo was now just 18 months.
Liam chose the profile of his baby sister, and they adopted her.
He was finishing up chemo and was ready to ring his “end of treatment” bell.
The family celebrated Liam’s 6th birthday at Disney World in August, and Breanna had the medical procedure to transfer the embryo to her womb in September.
Liam loves bowling and golf. In addition to his beloved cat, he has a pet rooster that he named “Princess Whiskers.”
Liam celebrated his 6th birthday at Disney (and got a Wish trip to Disney as well).
Then came October 2.
Liam once again had fluid in his ear, so he underwent surgery to investigate it. The tumor was back; he had relapsed.
And just hours after getting that terrible news, Kyle and Breanna learned she was pregnant.
“It was a day of confusing emotion,” she said. “When they relapse, it’s not really a good prognosis. The timeframes are worrisome.”
Liam is inseparable from his cat, Floyd, and FaceTimes with him during his hospitalizations.
But they’ve decided to “just keep moving forward.” Liam, after all, was the 1 percent miracle baby from the start.
The new baby, originally due in June, will be induced in late May as Akron Children’s Maternal Fetal Medicine physicians are closely watching some build-up of spinal fluids on her brain.
Liam himself took the news of his relapse with his usual upbeat spirit. He was told King Rhabdo was back and would need to be “walled off” with more “potions” sent in.
“Are you scared? Do you have any questions?” they asked.
“No,” he said, “I’m going to win.” And he ran off to play with his toys.
Liam is starting on a new chemo aimed at slowing his tumor’s growth – and fulfilling his wish of meeting his baby sister.
Liam is counting down the days to meeting his baby sister. Credit: Julie Kruft Photography.
Breanna and Kyle invite readers to follow their public Facebook page, “Love Like Liam,” for updates on Liam.
