Kane County Reporter

The Dundee-Crown High School community and beyond have joined hands to support Millie Rediehs, a 15-year-old student who is courageously battling a rare and challenging form of cancer called chordoma.

The gravity of her situation has sent shockwaves through her family and community.

A GoFundMe set up to aid in Rediehs's battle with cancer has raised $18,703 out of a goal of $25,000.

Rediehs's story began with an unexpected diagnosis that quickly transformed her life.

Chordoma is an exceedingly rare cancer, especially among children, and its occurrence in the neck region, where Rediehs's tumor is located, is even more unusual.

The initial diagnosis led to an extensive and complex medical journey for Rediehs.

Over the course of two and a half days, she underwent over 30 hours of surgery to remove the tumor, parts of her vertebrae, nerves on the right side of her neck and an artery.

To provide her with the necessary head and neck support, reconstructive surgery was also required.

“In the immediate future, there is a possibility of her needing a wheelchair, a medical bed, a location to stay at with no stairs during recovery, and a wheelchair friendly vehicle,” the GoFundMe page organized by Shannon Lentz reads.

“We are also very aware that the medical bills for her surgery, hospital stay, and upcoming rehab therapies will start coming in soon. The list goes on and on. We, her family, her village, are humbly asking for your help–help to ease some of the financial burden and allow her parents to solely focus on getting Millie through recovery and learning how to live with this for the rest of her life.”

Rediehs will require scans every six months to monitor any potential recurrences of the cancer.

Due to its scarcity, there's limited information about the most effective treatments and their long-term effects, adding to the uncertainty her family faces.

To learn more about Rediehs's journey and how you can contribute to her cause, visit the All For the Love of Millie GoFundMe page.

According to Johns Hopkins, chordomas are a rare and complex form of tumors that can develop in various regions of the spine or the base of the skull.

“When chordomas metastasize (spread) to other parts of the body, or if they grow large and begin to press on critical parts of the brain, they can become life threatening,” Johns Hokns website reads. “Even when chordomas have not spread, they can grow very large and damage nerves in the spine and brain, causing disability that may be permanent.”

The Chordoma Foundation website notes, “Chordoma in children and young adults is rare, with patients under the age of 20 years old accounting for only 5 percent of all chordoma cases.”

The typical patient is over the age of 35.