Fund Supports Farmington Hills Student with Rare Cancer

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – A Farmington Hills middle school student is battling a rare form of cancer, and community members are pitching in to help her family deal with unexpected medical expenses.

Emma Ostrowski, 12, a student at East Middle School, was diagnosed with with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) a week before Christmas after several days of acute pain.

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“By the time we got the diagnosis, we’d been dealing with pretty acute pain for four days, so we were thinking something was wrong,” Emma’s dad, Doug Ostrowski, told The Farmington Observer. “You don’t believe it at first.”

The American Cancer Society says GISTs are uncommon tumors of the gastrointestinal tract that usually start in the stomach. They have spread in Emma’s case, according to information on a GoFundMe page established by her aunt to help the family meet medical expenses.

One such procedure is a precautionary in case the treatment for the cancer causes infertility.

“She, of course, is terrified, but insists on this because her and her best friend have a plan of living on different sides of a mansion and being married to rich men and having babies and living the perfect life,” the post continued. “While we’re devastated that our baby is going through this, along with dealing with cancer, we want her to have every opportunity to have this life she dreams of. We hope she never has to use the eggs.”

The procedure costs $5,500, and isn’t covered by insurance. Neither is the annual cost to store the eggs.

Her mother said Emma isn’t currently in pain, and is happy, going to school and hanging out with friends. Treatment will begin in three or four weeks, and she may need surgery to remove any remaining cancer.

“Having this fund, besides all the hospital bills, will help Emma have the opportunity to keep her future dream alive,” Cheryl Ostrowski wrote, concluding:

“Please keep Emma in your thoughts and prayers. I cry every night. I hide my tears from her so she doesn’t know how worried and scared I am. She is very brave. She has great friends, family and supporters rooting for her. Thank you from Emma’s mom and dad.”

The fund stood at just over $13,900 Wednesday night. You can give using the widget below.