Dalton was diagnosed with Hyaline Vascular unicentric Castleman disease on April 6th, 2018 at the age of 8. Since his 
diagnosis he has been dealing with symptomatic manifestations and has had many ups and downs with his health, which has resulted in him having to try different forms of treatment including rituxan, and targeted radiation therapy. When Dalton was diagnosed it was a very scary time for his family and they dealt with feelings of fear, anger, being overwhelmed, and feeling lost. As with many other patients in the CD community, the doctor who initially diagnosed Dalton was not very fluent with this disease, which also brought a sense of worry and fear of the unknowns to the family.
After his diagnosis, his mother Amber, took to Google to search and try to find answers and maybe a little more understanding of what this meant. That is what lead them to the CDCN and this discovery brought them some relief knowing that they were not alone and that there were people out there who were fighting hard to find a cure. Unfortunately this disease has hindered Dalton’s health and brought about severe fatigue and many bouts of diminished health that lead him to missing school and other normal childhood activities.
The CDCN has been able to help Dalton by staying in touch with his oncologist to help in the decisions of next steps and connecting them with specialists. They also have been a great support system for Dalton’s family. The Hennessey family has joined in the fight with the CDCN to learn as much as they can about this disease, share this knowledge with the public, and hopefully one-day find a cure.
Over the last 2 years, Dalton has under gone a biopsy, several CT and PET scans, endless labs, bone marrow biopsy, PICC line, several chemotherapy and immunosuppressive therapy treatments and is currently being treated with CHOP chemotherapy. He continues to struggle with this disease daily, but keeps on smiling!
A quote from Max Lucado keep this family going even during the toughest of days with Dalton’s battle, “You’ll get through this. It won’t be painless. It won’t be quick. But God will use this mess for good. Don’t be foolish or naïve. But don’t despair either. With God’s help, you’ll get through this”
