A 2-year-old toddler has been diagnosed with a rare ovarian cancer after doctors found a mass of tumors in her abdomen, making her probably the youngest person in the US to have the condition. 

It was initially believed that McKenna "Kenni" Shea Xydias from Senoia, Georgia had massive gas build-up after her stomach bloated and she came down with a 40C fever.

Her worried parents, Meagan and Mike, took her to a pediatrician on February 15 and were left devastated after the MRI scan revealed metastasized tumors, including one as big as a grapefruit.

 

With the toddler now undergoing surgery and intensive chemotherapy to fight the stage 3 yolk sac ovarian cancer, her parents have taken to social media, saying: "This poor baby needs your prayers." Kenni is believed to be the youngest person in the US to have his form of cancer, which targets the ovarian yolk sac. The illness normally targets girls and women aged between 10 and 30 years, reported Mirror Online.

 

 

After the worried parents took their daughter to the doctor with concerning symptoms, Kenni underwent  a scan which ended up revealing a tumor that measured 14 cm (5.5inches) as well as multiple smaller ones in her abdomen.

Kenni has already gone through a surgery that removed most of the main tumor and her right ovary. She had her first surgery on February 18 in which about 90 per cent of the main tumor as well as some of the smaller cancerous ones were removed.

The surgeons were able to save one of her ovaries but had to remove some of her small intestines, according to the description on the GoFundMe page.

The campaign had so far raised almost $30,000 of the $35,000 goal in financial support for the family. The parents are hoping that the chemotherapy treatments, which started on February 27, will help the child fight the disease.

 

The campaign page, which was launched by a family friend, states: "McKenna Shea is a rambunctious two-year-old who has never let anything stop her, and never will! Meagan and Mike are both educators who just recently started new jobs in different counties in Georgia, bought a house, and moved. Kenni also had two amazing older brothers which makes this family of five a little tight on finances. I hope that raising this money will help to ease their worries as they will be taking time off and be without income. Anything will help, including prayers. God has this all planned out, let's do our part."

After Kenni's latest round of chemo got over on February 28, an update on the page read: "[Kenni] was a bit more sluggish and just happy to hang around and color. She slept through her chemo treatment for the day. We went for a walk later this evening and made sure she got her exercise in. Other than that, K has been in a great mood acting her silly, goofy, spunky self - and we couldn't be more thankful for that!"

 

The family added: "We want to thank everyone for their continued love, support, and prayers. Thank you also for your donations as we continue to prepare for unpaid leave throughout treatment and medical expenses that we can't even comprehend at this point. Thank you for the Smile Grams, letters, and care packages as well."

"The caring and selflessness that we have encountered on this journey continues to astound us. Please continue to pray for Kenni, for those who have shared in our comments their own battles against cancer, and for the children we have encountered who are fighting for their lives."

 

Meagan and Mike have had meetings with fertility doctors in order to discuss Kenni's ability to have children in the future. Mike wrote on GoFundMe: "Having to consider how these tumors and consequential chemo will potentially effect Kenni in the long run, forces us to look at the big picture as well."

He told ABC's Good Morning America that he did not have any idea that a child as young as his daughter could be affected by ovarian cancer.

He said: "I know Meagan and I both agree that Kenni is our hero with how she's dealing with this. She is a ball of energy and a stereotypical two-year-old. She's the youngest child, where she is the boss and she's extremely stubborn, which a great character trait in going to fight cancer. She doesn't let anything stop her."