Health

Three Georgia brothers under six are all battling the same rare eye cancer


Learning that your child has cancer is perhaps the most devastating news a parent can receive. 

To raise three young children, all battling cancer is a near-unimaginable strain on a family.

But that’s the reality that Aaron and Angie Rush, from Marietta, Georgia, face after all three of their sons were diagnosed with the same rare eye cancer.  

Five-year-old Tristan; three-year-old Caison and six-month-old Carter all have  retinoblastoma, which is usually diagnosed in young children.

The Rush family says they live under a shadow of uncertainty: wondering how long their boys will be in treatment, how they’ll pay their medical bills, and whether any of their children will need to have an eye removed as their mother did. 

But their children have thus far remained happy and resilient, in spite of round after round of treatment. 

Three brothers, Tristan Rush, five (right); Caison Rush, three (left); and Carter Rush, six months (center), from Marietta, Georgia have all been diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer

Three brothers, Tristan Rush, five (right); Caison Rush, three (left); and Carter Rush, six months (center), from Marietta, Georgia have all been diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer

The oldest brother, Tristan was diagnosed with the cancer, which affects the retina - a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye - at one week old in 2015. Pictured, left to right: Caison, Tristan and Carter

The oldest brother, Tristan was diagnosed with the cancer, which affects the retina – a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye – at one week old in 2015. Pictured, left to right: Caison, Tristan and Carter

The boys’ mother, Angie Rush, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma when she was an infant and she lost her left eye at just six weeks old, according to WXIA.

The cancer can be genetic and doctors warned the couple that there was a 50 percent chance any children they had would develop the disease.  

‘I feel a lot of guilt, knowing that this is something I could pass down to them’ Angie told WXIA. 

‘They’re smart, and they’re kind. They’re definitely a joy to have.’ 

The Rushs have been taking their sons to doctors’ appointments and hospital visits every month for the last five years.

In addition to the emotional stress of not knowing if their children will lose their sight, there is also financial stress. 

The boys’ paternal grandmother, Jeanne Rush, told WTHR that the family has    already met their insurance deductible for 2020.

They’ve met it every year for the last five years,’ she said. 

‘They’ve sold their home and moved in with Angie’s parents [to save money to pay for medical bills].’     

It all began in 2015 when the couple’s oldest son, Tristan, was diagnosed with retinoblastoma when he was just one month old, according to a GoFundMe page.      

The disease affects the retina, a thin layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye and converts light into signals to send to the brain. 

Symptoms typically include a white color in the pupil when light is shone in the eye, redness in the eyes and eye swelling.  

Between 200 and 300 children in the US are diagnosed every year, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

If the tumors are contained to the eyes, then more than 95 percent of patients can be cured, St Jude’s Research Hospital states.

His younger brother Caison, three, was also diagnosed with the cancer when he was born in 2017. Pictured: Caison (left) and Carter

Doctors discovered the youngest brother, Carter (pictured), also had the cancer in January 2020 at just six months old after two tumors were discovered in his eyes

His younger brother Caison, three, was also diagnosed with the cancer when he was born in 2017. Doctors discovered the youngest brother, Carter, also had the cancer in January 2020 at just six months old after two tumors were discovered in his eyes. Pictured: Caison and Carter, left; and Carter, right

The cancer can be hereditary and the boys' mother was diagnosed with the disease when she was an infant. Pictured: Angie and Aaron Rush (back row) with their three children Carter, Caison and Tristan

The cancer can be hereditary and the boys’ mother was diagnosed with the disease when she was an infant. Pictured: Angie and Aaron Rush (back row) with their three children Carter, Caison and Tristan

Every month, Tristan visited Children’s Hospital of Atlanta for MRIs, chemotherapy and laser therapy.

Two years later, in 2017, the couple had their second son, Caison, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at birth.

And so Aaron and Angie started the familiar cycle of treatments again, when Caison was just one week old.

Six months ago, Angie gave birth to the couple’s third son, Tristan. 

He was cancer free, until January 6, when scans revealed two tumors in his eyes. Tristan diagnosed with the same cancer his brothers face. 

The couple says they hope sharing their story encourages more donations to researchers studying pediatric cancer.  

‘[More funding] would lead to less side effects, possibly less time for kids being in the hospital and more time for them to be kids,’ their mother, Angie, told WTHR.

‘Just more effective treatment, so they can get better.’

A GoFundMe account has been created to raise money for medical expenses. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $45,000 has been raised out of a $50,000 goal.



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