Cassidy Hummer
Cassidy Hummer was born on June 1st and completed her family by joining her mom, dad and two big sisters. From the start, she could light up a room with her smile. She loves doing legos, hanging with family and friends, and playing bingo. She is a big sneaker head and absolutely loves jeeps, especially her own! This girl would live on ramen if you let her. She even eats it with chopsticks.
Despite her diagnosis during her senior year of high school, Cassidy was able to finish the year and get her diploma. It is her goal to go to college for nursing but she decided to take a gap year first in order to focus on her health. Becoming a nurse is the perfect path for Cassidy as her family describes her as strong and kind hearted to everyone, exactly how everyone would like their nurse to be!
Cassidy adores spending time with family and friends. She loves the ocean and family trips to Myrtle Beach never disappoint. The whole family was blessed to enjoy her Make a Wish trip to Hawaii. Their next family trip goal is to try to get her to Disney. It’s on her list of places to visit. Being true to her own personality, Winnie the Pooh is her favorite character and her family nickname is Bear. ​
Diagnosis
In August of 2022 Cassidy was rushed to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh with a debilitating headache. They ran tests, did an MRI and soon told her parents that they saw what could be a lesion on her brain but could not be sure due to the shadowing from her braces. They were instructed to get her braces removed as soon as possible. Fast forward to January 2023 and she returned for another MRI. This indeed showed what they were just calling a tumor in her left thalamus. Due to the precarious area it was in they opted to just watch it and rescan in six months. At that time they saw very little change and said they would rescan in three months. In October 2023 her family was told that it had grown/changed and that they could wait an additional three months or move forward with a biopsy. Her mother had a gut wrenching feeling that they should not wait.
On November 20th, she went in for her biopsy. Waiting for those results was one of the hardest things her parents ever thought they would go through but soon realized that they were wrong. On December 5th their world would change forever. To hear a doctor explain a cancer that they had never even heard was unimaginable. Cassidy's diagnosis was Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG), H3 K27-altered, CNS WHO grade 4. Crying was the only thing they could do. The day after Christmas she started her course of 33 radiation treatments. Cassidy feels blessed by an extended support system including her two older sisters, grandmother, aunts and uncles, cousins. Her school district and community lifted her family up with their unwavering support. Classmates, as part of a club project organized a 5k in her honor, which was so amazing! Local businesses came out to support her as well and donated raffle baskets to help the Hummer family during this devastating diagnosis.
Cassidy was so strong throughout treatment and continued to go to school and work until it was just too much. Radiation really took the energy out of her. She slept most of the day and suffered from headaches, vomiting, and fatigue. Although there were two clinical trials that she could have enrolled in she chose not to participate. She told her family, ”I’m living my life to the fullest while I feel good. Why make myself sick to MAYBE not be sick” Given that the clinical trials can be like throwing darts at a wall her family respected her decision and they have continued to encourage her to live life, stay strong, and have faith that this will not be the end of her story.
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Cassidy is living her best life with joy and optimism in the face of the most devastating cancer and the Archer Foundation is proud to support her family as she continues to write her own story.
