“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: On March 2, 2012 Dashiell was diagnosed with a cancerous liver tumor called Hepatoblastoma. After multiple chemo therapies and surgery to remove the tumor at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, he fell into a high-risk category for recurrence so we took him to specialists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. After 3 months of treatment new tumors were found in his liver and he was immediately placed on the transplant list which he received 3 weeks later. After 7 weeks he got to go home to his brothers and sweet doggie. He was so happy, he did a somersault on the living room floor! During his next visit a nodule was found in his right lung. The cancer had spread. He underwent surgery to remove it. But at his next monthly appointment new nodules were found in both lungs. The cancer was now believed to actually be the more aggressive, extremely rare Transitional Liver Cell Tumor. But to be absolutely sure we tracked down Dr. Arthur Zimmerman, the Swiss pathologist to originally identify TLCT.  After reviewing Dashiell’s case history/pathology slides (free of charge), he confirmed it was this type of cancer. There is no cure for it and diagnosis is terminal. To stave off the inevitable Dashiell underwent 10 rounds of radiation and an experimental chemo to no avail. As  with all of his treatments, Dashiell did not suffer any concerning side-effects. In fact, except for hair loss, he never endured the expected routine side-effects such as infection, mouth sores, nausea or fatigue. Even recovery from the all of the surgeries was without incident. Despite all our efforts, he succumbed to this disease on 6/17/13. To ensure Dashiell’s journey was not in vain, his post-mortem tumors were donated to scientific research through UI Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the COG and SIOPEL. He is currently one of three worldwide confirmed cases of TLCT with data-banked bio-specimens. Dashiell had a blessed life, as sweet and blissful as any child could possibly dream — believing in Santa Claus, eating treats, cuddling Mama and Daddy (Pam and Brian), playing with his brothers (Orson and Sumner) and hugging his doggie (Cider). He never knew one day of sorrow, neglect or abuse. He is deeply loved and all of his days were pure with happiness. His legacy is honored as we advocate for childhood cancer awareness/projects/programs/organizations, better treatment options, advancement in higher cure rates and increased medical research funding. Dashiell’s indomitable spirit lives on in the hearts of his family, friends and supporters. To learn more about Dashiell go here : https://www.facebook.com/DashiellsMahnaMahnaPage” – Pamela C.