Malakai Carey
WARRIOR'S Story
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September Update:
After my biopsy in early May, my diagnoses changed from Hepatoblastoma (extremely rare for my age), to a slightly less rare Hepatocellular Malignant Neoplasm (HEMNOS). This means I had a combination tumor that consisted of Hepatoblastoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Liver cancer is about 1-2% of childhood cancer, and my diagnosis happens in about 5% of those cases.
My cancer responded extremely well to the Chemo, however, due to the Chemo I have lost a lot of my hearing and now need hearing aids. On 7/2 I had a second MRI and found out that the tumor had shrunk 62%! More importantly, the tumor shrunk in a way that made me a strong candidate for resection of the left lobe of my liver and the remaining cancer. I continued with my Chemo treatment and had a 3rd MRI prior to surgery for preparation and my resection date was 8/21.
My surgery was very successful, and the left lobe of my liver was removed along with all visible cancer in my body. Pathology confirmed after the resection that 80% of the tumor on my liver was dead and about 20% was still alive, this was extremely positive news! The 20% living cancer was the harder to kill Hepatocellular Carcinoma and is what my doctors expected from the Chemo treatments. However, only after the removal of my liver did my Oncology and Surgery team realize that the cancer on my liver was multi-faceted, growing in different locations on my liver.
Prior to surgery, it was the belief of my team that the tumor on my liver was a single tumor. Unfortunately, a couple satellite lesions on my left lobe were very close to the cut line. And even though the tumors were considered mostly dead, there is now concern that I might have tumors on my remaining liver.
I am currently waiting to see what my Oncology, Transplant and Surgery team decide is the best path forward. But I am now potentially looking at having a Liver Transplant again. This has been really hard news on the heels of what I thought was the end of my battle with Cancer.
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My name is Malakai, I was diagnosed with liver cancer on April 29th. I am starting Chemo Therapy on May 7th with hopes to shrink the tumor that is on my liver. Currently, the tumor is too close to the main blood supply of my liver to remove it. If the tumor shrinks with Chemo with 3 months of treatment, the doctors at Children's will be able to remove about 1/2 of my liver with the tumor. If it does not shrink or does not shrink away from the main blood supply, I will need a liver transplant. We are all praying the tumor shrinks in a way that the doctors can remove only part of my liver. Once the tumor is removed, I will have another 3-6 months of Chemo to make sure the cancer is completely gone...
I am 11 years old and the oldest of 4 siblings, I have one sister and we recently adopted my two youngest brothers out of the foster system back in January. I was born and have been raised in Ventura, CA. I am an actor, the video below is my first commercial I shot when I was 6 years old, and want to be an inventor when I grow up.
Please help me fight this battle against Cancer!
You can catch me on the Season Finale of Modern Family May 8th, or if you miss it, here are a couple videos below...
Here are a couple videos of me on the Jimmy Kimmel show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azGctLcALJo
https://twitter.com/jimmykimmel/status/771757150070640640?lang=en
And here is a video clip from a project I did with Children's Hunger Fund and Project Understanding!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwIM2TPbYqc&feature=youtu.be
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