Dasun Griffin
Dasun Griffin was born on April 8, 2019 to his mom Derecia and dad Timothy, joining a big and beautiful blended family with plenty of brothers and sisters to go around! His mom describes Dasun as incredibly spiritually connected and mature for six years old. His connection to the universe and the divine Holy Spirit was so evident to his parents even from an early age. As a tiny guy, his parents recall him saying, “I love Jesus”. It was very beautiful to hear him tell them about how Jesus speaks through him and is his best friend. Dasun is a very compassionate and kind hearted soul. He loves to make new friends and pray for people and his family. He is the epitome of much love in their family and is definitely considered the peacemaker in their home.
Dasun is very intelligent and mature and he loves to explore outdoors. He adores spending time outside and is very active at the park near his home and loves to play sports of all kinds. He is also an avid reader, likes to take drives, dance and make videos for his YouTube channel.
Dasun's support system is built around his large, blended family and his mom, Derecia says that journey was never easy, especially relocating from Northern California to Southern California with very little support, but throughout their family's existence, they have been blessed with good relationships with their children's grandparents who have been able to help the family when needed. Derecia says, "God alway aligned in our paths kindhearted people, whether it be teachers, nurses, doctors, and coaches. But the most surprising support came from people who don’t even know is personally. That type of support really touches a special place in our hearts. "
Diagnosis
Dasun was always a vibrant, active and energetic child. His parents noticed in mid-June that he was having some mobility issues on his right side. His eye, face, arm and leg weren’t functioning the same. They sought help with his pediatrician but they weren't overly alarmed that he was having these issues. They summed it up to vitamin deficiency. As weeks went by Dasun's symptoms got worse, to where he was falling and could not even hold his toy in his right hand. Everything changed, when he started throwing up and was very fatigued on July 24th. His grandmother was in town and had come to take Dasun and his twin sisters with her for a few weeks for the summer. Even though we still had not figured out the cause of his physical health condition , as a family they decided it was time for an extensive evaluation. After being taken to the Children’s Hospital emergency unit, after routine procedures, they discovered the mass in his brain. He needed an emergency surgery to remove the excess fluid and swelling and to take a biopsy of the tissue. Another week went by before they got results of the biopsy. His parents ell apart when they heard the words cancer and incurable in the same sentence. A “nightmare we haven’t woken up from yet” as his dad described it. On August 6th Dasun had another surgery to “debulk” his tumor and then began radiation treatment.
From Derecia, "We still don’t know very much about DMG. As a family this is still really a surreal experience. I pray for help for our son, that he doesn’t have to be another casualty of this horrific cancer. I’m sharing his story because he deserves to live on. I don’t want him to he known only for his diagnosis, but for the brave and beautiful child he is in spite of this diagnosis. Dasun is a true warrior. I pray his purpose is fulfilled in every way that his soul lives. He has truly inspired me as a human being and a mother. May his story continue to bring us all together as he always has."
The Archer Foundation is proud to support the Griffin family so they can physically be together while Dasun fights a battle no child should ever have to face.
