Baby Daughter of Langley Basketball Coach Battling Cancer

The Saxon Scope, the Langley High School newspaper, published a story this week reporting that Gianna, the baby daughter of Boys Basketball Coach Travis Hess,  is battling hepablastoma, a form of cancer.

The Hess family is in need of support and donations, to cover Gianna’s medical bills and the cost of traveling back and forth to Phildelphia for treatment, the Scope reported. 

Below is the story of their journey  that Coach Hess and his wife Suzanne shared through the website CaringBridge. At the end is a list of ways to help the Hess family.

On Friday, February 10, Gianna seemed more cranky than normal on her way home from day care.  As the night progressed, she grew more and more upset.

She was crying heavily and, at times, was inconsolable. That evening, Gianna threw up and Suzanne noticed that her stomach seemed distended.  She decided that she would take Gianna to the doctor first thing in the morning.

On Saturday, upon a routine physical examination, Dr. Kohn, felt that Gianna's liver was enlarged and told Suzanne to take her to the emergency room.  What proceeded at the emergency room was beyond a nightmare.

Gianna was poked, prodded, and scanned for over five hours. She cried uncontrollably as they searched her tiny hands for a vein for her IV.  Then came the news, arguably the worst news a parent can hear. Gianna was diagnosed with a mass on her liver.  

In the eleven days subsequent, life has been a roller coaster. We have met with oncologists and surgeons at both INOVA Fairfax and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  Gianna's liver mass encompasses the majority of the right lobe of her liver and is about the size of a woman's fist.

Ultimately, we decided to have all of her surgeries performed at CHOP, one of the premier children's hospitals in the country. Yesterday, February 21st, Gianna had three nodules removed from her lungs.  One of the nodules tested positive for hepatoblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer that starts in the liver.

We will begin chemotherapy here at CHOP towards the end of this week and hopefully head back home to Virginia this weekend.  Over the next few months, Gianna will continue to undergo chemotherapy with Children's Hospital DC under the supervision of CHOP.

 After six weeks, we will undergo another CT scan and MRI to see if the mass has shrunk to a size that the surgeon is comfortable with.  Once that milestone has been reached, Gianna will have a portion of her liver removed in Philadelphia.  Once recovered from surgery, we will return to Virginia for the completion of chemotherapy.

The journey which we are now undertaking will be long and arduous.  It is difficult to understand how taxing this will be, unless you too have undergone this journey.

 We can't begin to express how blessed we truly are.  We have a wonderful family who continues to support us and help out in every way possible. Our friends have stepped up and offered support and assistance in a way we never thought imaginable. The Langley and John Adams communities have also overwhelmed us with their support, as has the basketball coaching fraternity.

 But most importantly, we are blessed to have each other, a beautiful son, and a beautiful daughter who is going to beat this disease.
Please join us on our journey; through every tear, every laugh, every up, every down, and ultimately to victory.  
We love you all.  

Please pray for Gianna. Travis & Suzanne

Below are several ways help:

1)Contributions through PayPal. (correct link)

2) Check donation: Checks can be left at the Langley High School front office.

3) Support groups: Different groups are being formed to help, in areas such as healthcare supplies, meals, groceries, childcare, etc. Those interested can contact Margaret Scheirer at MAScheirer@fcps.edu.

4) Three on Three basketball tournament: The junior class is sponsoring a basketball tournament, open to all teachers and students. The proceeds will go to the Hess family. Contact junior class president Shy Daraiekia at s.daraiekia@gmail.com for more information.

5) Old Brogue fundraiser: The Old Brogue, an Irish pub located in Great Falls Village, will designate a date where a portion of all proceeds go towards the Hess family. More information will be available soon.

6)  The Joe Cassella Foundation 5k race, Sunday May 20, in Great Falls. Gianna is the beneficiary. To participate in the race, or  learn more about the foundation,click here.

Donate now to CaringBridge in tribute to Gianna.

Read the tributes in honor of Gianna.