CRESTVIEW — Seralyn Welch’s mom is matter-of-fact. Within 15 years, the 7-year-old will develop so many polyps in her colon that treating the malignant ones will be difficult.

Soon thereafter, her lower intestine will have to be removed.

“She will wind up with a colostomy bag at 30,” Christy Welch said.

Which is better than the alternative should the cancerous polyps not be detected.

“If they’re not caught, she will be dead by 20,” Welch said.

But Seralyn, whose rare hepatoblastoma was diagnosed at 8 months old, is a fighter.

“I’m a survivor,” she says in a video on her Girl Scout troop’s Relay for Life page. “I roar against cancer. ROAR!”

She can’t wait to take to the Crestview High School track for Friday’s 12-hour relay, which commemorates the longest night of a cancer patient’s life: when he or she receives the diagnosis.

“She is 7 and active and loves everything and thinks Relay for Life is the best birthday party,” Welch said. “She tickled everybody last year because she kept saying, ‘This is the best party I ever had.’ 

EARLY DETECTION

Welch said she and her husband, Okaloosa EMS paramedic William Welch, noticed the first sign of Seralyn’s cancer when she was 2 days old.

“We were rubbing her back and found bumps on her back,” Christy Welch said. “She was my fifth baby, so I am quite experienced with babies and this was not normal.”

A battery of tests began, beginning with an ultra sound, which proved inconclusive, so doctors followed up with an MRI.

“They found pocket masses, one at the top of her neck at her spine, one underneath her right shoulder blade and one on her spine at her lower back,” Welch said.

William’s paramedic partner’s  sister lost a child to hepatoblastoma, so the disorder was on their radar.

“The odds of someone actually knowing someone whose baby was lost to this thing are so huge,” Christy said. “We kept pushing the doctors to test for it. ‘Can we test for it? Can we test for it?’ They said it was so rare it was impossible.”

‘GOD GUIDED OUR HANDS’                     

Biopsy results on one of the masses were inconclusive. Then the oncologist found something while examining Seralyn.

“He grabbed the MRI and realized it was on her liver,” Welch said.

He found a 2-by-2-centimeter mass.

“In seven weeks, it grew to about the size of a golf ball,” Welch said. “Because of the rapid growth they were very concerned.”

The family took Seralyn to have the mass removed, and that’s when the hepatoblastoma cancer was discovered.

“They didn’t even let us go home,” Welch said. “It was supposed to be a minor surgery. We decided to do chemo that night because it’s a very aggressive.”

Seralyn’s hepatoblastoma is a symptom of Gardner’s syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes usually benign tumors to form in various organs. She currently has about 70 polyps in her colon and 30 in her stomach, and has annual colonoscopies to assure none are cancerous.

However, neither Christy or William carry the gene.

“Hers was a mutation, which is 1 in 7 million chance,” Christy said.

When it came time to have Seralyn’s liver resectioned when she was 5 months old, the family believe God led them to the University of Florida’s Shands Cancer Hospital in Gainesville.

“We found the most amazing surgeon,” Christy said. “God guided our hands. The doctor was beyond fabulous.”

‘SHE IS STILL FIGHTING’

Seralyn has hearing loss and some vision loss from the chemo treatment, “and some developmental issues,” Christy said. “At school she’ll hit little bumps, and we have to figure out what’s happening. It is very normal for infants with this.”

Seralyn’s Crestview Girl Scout Troop 1318 looks forward to the Relay for Life and supporting their friend, Christy said.

Because Girl Scout rules prohibit troops from raising money for other causes, Christy said the girls are treating their It’s a Girl Thing team’s participation as a community service.

“But that doesn’t mean they can’t donate,” she said.

Seralyn will march around the track Friday night just as eagerly as her troopmates.

“Her journey is not over,” Christy said. “She is still fighting cancer. It’s a crazy story. We really believe she has a special purpose to be here.”

—

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Crestview Relay for Life

WHEN: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., April 22-23

WHERE:  Crestview High School, 1250 Ferdon Blvd. N.

Notes: 38 teams with 303 participants will walk the high school track in the annual American Cancer Society fundraiser. Visit http://bit.ly/1Ve5Z2B for information on volunteering, walking or donating.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 days: Serlayn Welch’s age when parents discovered abnormal bumps on her back

5 months: Age when she had a liver resection

8 months: Age when she was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma

150: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the U.S.

300: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the world

1 in 7 million: Chances of a child having hepatoblastoma when neither parent carries the gene

WHAT IS HEPATOBLASTOMA?

Hepatoblastoma is a rare tumor (an abnormal tissue growth) that originates in cells in the liver. It is the most common cancerous liver tumor in early childhood.

Hepatoblastoma cancer cells also can spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body. The most common site of metastasis is the lungs.

Hepatoblastoma primarily affects children from infancy to about 5 years of age. Most cases appear during the first 18 months of life.

Hepatoblastoma affects white children more frequently than black children, and is more common in boys than girls up to about age 5, when the gender difference disappears. It occurs more frequently in children who were born very prematurely (early) with very low birth weights.

Source: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Crestview Relay for Life

WHEN: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., April 22-23

WHERE:  Crestview High School, 1250 Ferdon Blvd. N.

Notes: 38 teams with 303 participants will walk the high school track in the annual American Cancer Society fundraiser. Visit http://bit.ly/1Ve5Z2B for information on volunteering, walking or donating.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 days: Serlayn Welch’s age when parents discovered abnormal bumps on her back

5 months: Age when she had a liver resection

8 months: Age when she was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma

150: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the U.S.

300: Total cases of hepatoblastoma annually diagnosed in the world

1 in 7 million: Chances of a child having hepatoblastoma when neither parent carries the gene

WHAT IS HEPATOBLASTOMA?

Hepatoblastoma is a rare tumor (an abnormal tissue growth) that originates in cells in the liver. It is the most common cancerous liver tumor in early childhood.

Hepatoblastoma cancer cells also can spread (metastasize) to other areas of the body. The most common site of metastasis is the lungs.

Hepatoblastoma primarily affects children from infancy to about 5 years of age. Most cases appear during the first 18 months of life.

Hepatoblastoma affects white children more frequently than black children, and is more common in boys than girls up to about age 5, when the gender difference disappears. It occurs more frequently in children who were born very prematurely (early) with very low birth weights.

Source: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Want to Go, By the Numbers and more on hepatoblastoma

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Girl Scouts walking in Crestview Relay for troop-mate with cancer

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County (DOH-Okaloosa) is observing April 16-23 as National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW). Babies need immunizations to protect against dangerous diseases like measles, whooping cough, and polio.

“National Infant Immunization Week is an opportunity for us to highlight the importance of immunizations to protect the public’s health,” Dr. Karen A. Chapman, DOH-Okaloosa director, stated. “Through immunization, we can now protect infants and children from 14 vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States.”

One example of the seriousness of vaccine preventable diseases is an increase in measles cases or outbreaks that were reported in 2014. The United States experienced a record number of measles cases, with 667 cases from 27 states. This was the greatest number of cases in the U.S. since measles was eliminated in 2000.

“It's easy to think of these as diseases of the past, but the truth is they still exist,” continued Dr. Chapman. “Children in the United States can—and do—still get some of these diseases.”

Communication between parents and health care professionals is critical. If parents or caregivers have any questions about the safety of immunizations, they should talk to their health care provider. Parents and caregivers can also learn more about immunizations at www.FloridaHealth.gov or http://www.CDC.gov/vaccines.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa health department observes Infant Immunization Week April 16-23

BAKER —  Low-income families may participate in a free mobile dental clinic sponsored by the Baker Area Ministerial Association and the Baker Lion's Club.

Local dentists and their assistants will provide fillings or extractions to those who qualify after screenings.

The screenings are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6 at the Baker Area Recreation Center, 5503 Highway 4. Appointments will then be set for the week of May 9-13.

Qualifications are:

●Patients must be age 6 or older.

●Patients must attend the May 6 screening to schedule an appointment.

●Family income is at or below 200 percent poverty guideline.

The van is provided by the Florida Baptist Convention.

For more information, contact Project Director Mary Ann Henley, 865-3144.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker groups plan free mobile dental clinic with May 6 screenings

CRESTVIEW — The Renalus Center for Kidney Care is moving its Crestview office to a new, state-of-the-art practice location.

The center's new address is 221 Redstone Ave. E., near the North Okaloosa Medical Center.

“We are very excited to have moved to our new state-of-the-art Crestview facility,” Dr. Christopher Reid said. “Our new space allows us to improve our care, patient satisfaction, and overall patient experience while continuing to provide the latest technological advancements.”

The physician-owned and managed nephrology practice treats various kidney conditions and provides expansive services for kidney health and education. Services include treatment of chronic kidney diseases, dialysis, transplant, hypertension and anemia, as well as consultation for second opinions.

The Renalus Center for Kidney Care’s medical team includes Doctors Christopher Reid, Nicholas Nagrani, Derek Jimenez, James Martin and F. Duncan Scott; and nurse practitioners Misty Willis, Amy Dugger and Kathy Curry.

For a complete list of services, treatments, and locations, visit www.renalus.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Medical group relocates Crestview office