One of the Worlds Strongest Little Boys, Amare, defies bullies who call him a MONSTER
Amare’head is ravaged by deadly watermelon-sized tumours
BEATING THE ODDS – Amare’s Strength is unmatched! he is strong mentally, strong physically. Amare has a great positive attitude. He maintains great character through his struggle. Amare stands like a great man already at the little age of 8!
Amare Stover, eight, from Decatur in Alabama, USA, suffers from a rare genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis (NF1)
A LITTLE boy whose head is ravaged by deadly tumours is defying bullies who call him ‘monster’ and say he’s wearing a mask.
Amare Stover, eight, from Decatur in Alabama, USA, was born with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis (NF1) that affects one in 2,500 people and means tumours can develop anywhere in his body.
By the age of four, Amare had to be fitted with a permanent trach tube because the tumours grew into his throat and risked choking him to death.
The growths have continued to spread, leaving him blind in one eye and suffering from learning difficulties.
In addition to twisting and distorting the eight-year-old’s face, his swellings are nearly the size of watermelons.
Mum Kandice Stover, 30, says her son battles stigma every day because of his condition.
Kandice, a full-time carer, said: “The size of them affects him a lot – he gets made fun of, gets stares from people whenever he goes out in public and has been called a ‘monster’.
“Some of the children won’t play with him or say he is ‘ugly’, which makes it really hard., I don’t understand why people can’t just be respectful.
“Some adults have asked him where he got ‘his mask’ from – it’s really very hurtful and it only gets worse around Halloween.”
From one-month-old, neurologist started working to reduce pressure on Amare’s eye caused by tumours wrapping around his eye-socket.
Kandice said: “The tumours are in the whole of his facial region, his neck and also his brain – and his neurologist has told me they would only get bigger over time.”
She added: “Doctors gave him a trach tube because they thought one day he just wouldn’t wake up and would stop breathing in his sleep.
“Before he used to snore badly, which was caused by him struggling for breath because of the tumours.”
Despite multiple laser treatments, his left eye has swollen completely shut and now he can only see fractionally out of the other, with doctors telling his family to prepare for the worst.
Kandice said: “Doctors have recommended that I start learning braille so that I can teach my son because the tumours growing around his eyes and in his ear canal.
“They tell me he will most likely lose his sight and hearing due to his condition.”
The family are set for a consultation with plastic surgeons later this month to see if they can remove some of the tumorous mass around his eyes in a last-ditch bid to save his sight.
Single mum Kandice has now set up a GoFund Me page to help pay for her son’s astronomical medical bills
She said: “His father’s not around, so I have had to take care of him since he was four months old and have struggled to find a job, funds to pay for his treatment and more.
“At one point, I lost my home when he needed surgery to have the trach and g-tube fitted, I had to move in with a friend.
“There have been times where I’ve had to take him five times a month to the hospital and I don’t have a car, so have had to beg people for rides and use the free bus when we can.
“It’s hard to find employment because there are a lot of days where due to my son being on chemo medication he’s too ill to go to school.”
Amare Stove’s Go Fund Me Page Below
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Mom’s Heartbreaking Story of Her Son’s Tumors on His Face Moves Many to Help
On January 1, 2022, Born Different posted an episode in a series on Facebook about a mother and her son. The mother launched a campaign on Gofundme to raise money to help her pay for treatment for her son’s tumors on his face, and the public’s response has been astounding.
One Mother’s Campaign to Help Her Son With Tumors on His Face
Amare Stover of Alabama was been through a lot since the day he was born. His mother, Kandice Stover, explained that he has a genetic condition called NF Type one. It’s incurable and it causes tumors all over his body. According to his mom, he has one of the worst cases known, and although he was taking chemo and he will probably start taking it again, the doctors had paused it to see if they would go down. However, they have gotten worse since he’s been off the chemo over the last year.
Watch the video made for Kandice’s campaign to help Amare:
Kandice explains that “He’s normal just like any other little boy,” even though people don’t look at him like that due to the tumors on his face.
The tumors on his face have gotten worse as he’s gotten older, and they’ve begun to obstruct his sight. Kandice explains that he can only see out of his right eye currently because of the tumors on his face.
As the tumors grow, life becomes more difficult for Amare. Kandice said, “The last time I took him to a park. There were some kids that told him he looks like a monster. And he hasn’t been back to that park ever since. So I had to tell him that he’s not a monster.”
She explained that because of the reaction of people in the public, he’s doesn’t get out of the house a lot. She explains that he plays with his cousins, EJ and Lewis.
Lewis said, “We just like to have fun with our family and our cousin Amare. I know he has a genetic condition. I like hanging out with him just the same. I like hanging out just the way he is. He doesn’t seem any different.
In her desire to get some of the tumors on his face removed, Kandice launched a GoFundMe campaign. She said, “I pray that something can be done.”
Mom’s Heartbreaking Story of Her Son’s Tumors on His Face Moves Many to Help
On the GoFundMe page she writes, “I’m raising money in order to go towards a purchase of a home and other expenses our family endures, to ensure that Amare can make every doctor appointment.”
She writes, “He’s a miracle in my eyes and will always be my angel. We are appreciative to anyone who donates to support our family.”
She goes on to explain that some of the specific medical costs will be for chemo medicine and corrective surgeries “that he may be able to live a more normal life.”
Kandice’s goal was $120,000. And the response has been astounding, even though it’s only been about a week.
As of January 8, 2022, more than $406,000 have been donated by over 11,000 people, with donations from $5 to $20,000 that was given by an anonymous donor.
The list of comments from donors is also extensive and written from all over the world. One donor said, “I know with enough money and exposure there are doctors out there that would be able to help this beautiful boy. And I wanted to help even in this little way to support this mother who is carrying this load all alone.”
Another donor commented, “Amare is inspirational. Kandice you are his light. Much love to you both.”
Many people offered prayers and support. Yet another encouraged Amare on his journey saying, “Amare…Stay strong! You have a ‘village‘ of supporters near and far! Take care and keep the faith! God is ‘Great’!”
Amare is overcoming bullying and receiving incredible support from hundreds of donors around the world.
In the video posted by Born Different, Kandice explains that she wants to focus on helping Amare to have a better life and she doesn’t want her worries about paying for Amare’s medical bills to be a distraction that takes her from that.
She said that her son “inspires me in so many ways. He’s enthusiastic about everything. He doesn’t let anything get him down, really. I just only hope that they find something that can really help him tremendously down the line that can maybe even take all the tumors all away. That would be a blessing right there.”
Boy, 8, whose face has been distorted by giant tumors and caused him to go blind in one eye is called a ‘monster’ by cruel bullies who think he is wearing a mask
- Amare Stover, from Alabama, was born with neurofibromatosis type one (NF1)
- The disorder causes tumours to develop all over his body – mainly on his face
- In addition to distorting his appearance, he has severe learning difficulties
- Doctors say he will eventually lose his sight completely unless he has surgery
These horrifying pictures show the true extent of a tumour-causing condition an eight-year-old boy has to suffer.
Amare Stover is called a ‘monster’ by cruel bullies because he was born with neurofibromatosis type one (NF1).
In addition to twisting and distorting his face, he has severe learning difficulties and his swellings have left him blind in one eye.
Doctors have warned that he will eventually lose his sight completely unless he has an operation soon as the masses just keep on growing.
His mother Kandice Stover, 30, from Decatur, Alabama, says that her son battles stigma everyday because of the genetic disorder.
She added: ‘He has tumours all over his head, there are a lot of them and they have grown to be very big, which has twisted his face in the process.
‘The size of them affects him a lot, he gets made fun of, gets stares from people whenever he goes out in public and has been called a “monster”.
‘Some of the children won’t play with him or say he is “ugly”, which makes it really hard, I don’t understand why people can’t just be respectful.
‘Some adults have asked him where he got his “mask” from, it’s really very hurtful and it only gets worse around Halloween.
‘I tell him that he is just like any other eight-year-old and tell him not to worry because people are mean and not right.
‘In my eyes, he’s a very normal eight-year-old, he goes through a lot but you would never know it he runs around, loves sports and plays just like any other child his age.’
When he was born, Amare’s left eye was a little swollen. After taking him to the doctor, he was found to have glaucoma and NF1.
A neurologist almost immediately started working to reduce pressure on his eye, caused by tumours wrapping around his eye-socket.
In 2012, during an MRI to monitor the growth of his tumours, Amare suddenly stopped breathing.
He had to be fitted with a permanent trach tube because the tumours grew into his throat and risked choking him to death.
Ms Stover said: ‘Doctors gave him a trach tube because they thought one day he just wouldn’t wake up and would stop breathing in his sleep.
‘Before he used to snore badly, which was caused by him struggling for breath because of the tumours.’
Despite having multiple laser treatments, his left eye has now swollen completely shut and now he can only see fractionally out of the other.
With his sight hastily diminishing in his right eye, doctors have told this family to prepare for the worst.
In 2012, during an MRI to monitor the growth of his tumours, Amare suddenly stopped breathing. He had to be fitted with a permanent trach tube because the tumours grew into his throat and risked choking him to death
Ms Stover said: ‘Doctors have recommended that I start learning braille so that I can teach my son because the tumours growing around his eyes and in his ear canal.
‘They tell me he will most likely lose his sight and hearing due to his condition.’
Later this month, Amare will consult with plastic surgeons to see if they can remove some of the tumorous mass around his eyes in a bid to save his sight.
The chemotherapy medication he has been on for five years to try to shrink the tumours has yet to work.
Ms Stover, who is a single parent, is fundraising to cover the costs of her son’s medical bills, travelling to appointments and basic needs for their family.
She said: ‘His father is not around, so I have had to take care of him since he was four months old and have struggled to find a job, funds to pay for his treatment and more.
‘At one point, I lost my home when he needed surgery to have the trach and g-tube fitted, I had to move in with a friend.
‘There have been times where I’ve had to take him five times a month to the hospital and I don’t have a car, so have had to beg people for rides and use the free bus when we can.
‘It’s hard to find employment because there are a lot of days where due to my son being on chemo medication he’s too ill to go to school.’
Anyone wanting to donate to their cause can do so here.
WHAT IS NF1?