Meet Arin!
Arin’s journey began in November 2022. He started feeling pain in his knee, which he chalked up to being on his feet all day at a regional Congress competition. Out of an abundance of caution, we went to the doctor, where he was diagnosed with what were essentially “growing pains.”
Over the next seven months, after several phone calls and return visits to the doctor for the same on-and-off pain, an MRI was finally ordered. The results brought devastating news: osteosarcoma of the distal femur in Arin’s left leg. He was just 15 years old at diagnosis. I can’t begin to describe the desperation, fear, anger, and sorrow one feels at hearing that their child has cancer. It is absolutely heartbreaking news.
We were immediately connected with a pediatric oncologist at Roger Maris Cancer Center, who ordered a biopsy and additional scans, including a CT and PET scan. The biopsy confirmed a high-grade osteoblastic osteosarcoma, and the scans revealed that the cancer had already spread to Arin’s lungs.
Arin began treatment at Sanford Hospital in Fargo, completing two rounds of chemotherapy, each lasting five weeks. Afterward, he underwent an above-knee amputation of his left leg, which was the only way to remove all of the tumor. Once he recovered, he went through another round of chemo, followed by two lung surgeries at the Mayo Clinic to remove the tumors there.
When his lung wounds had healed, Arin completed three more rounds of MAP chemotherapy and finally got to ring the bell in April 2024.
Unfortunately, in October of the same year, routine scans showed that the cancer had returned—this time with four new nodules in his left lung. I think that news may have hit even harder than the first diagnosis. Once again, we returned to Mayo for another open thoracotomy.
Arin’s chemotherapy protocol changed after that. The new treatment required him to be hospitalized 5 days out of the 21-day cycles, and it was much harder on his body. He needed frequent blood transfusions due to low counts, and the nausea was incredibly difficult to manage. After six tough rounds, Arin decided he was done with that particular treatment.
His oncologist, Dr. Wyatt, who truly is amazing at what he does, recommended a clinical trial testing an oral medication called cabozantinib as a maintenance therapy to help prevent the cancer from coming back. It sounded promising, so we enrolled and began traveling to a clinic in Colorado for treatment.
Today, Arin continues to take the medication, though he is no longer part of the trial. Thankfully, there is currently no evidence of cancer in his body. He’s still adjusting to life as an amputee, but he’s determined and looking forward to graduating high school soon and studying psychology in college.
We’re still in the fight—but the future looks brighter every day.