Aiden Bartley is a warrior.

That’s what his mom, Megan Bartley, says about the 11-year-old Butler boy who has now spent about two months traveling to and from California for a clinical trial designed just for him and the pancreatic cancer that he is battling.

“I am exhausted,” Bartley said. “I think I’ve had five hours of sleep in the last three days. Him and I spent 14 hours on a plane this week.”

Her son’s care in California is scheduled so that he spends three weeks on and one week off each month.

As parents of three, the Bartleys have to split up their time between all of their children. Bartley and her husband, Michael, take turns staying home and traveling to California with Aiden. The traveling takes quite a toll on the Bartleys.

More pointedly, Bartley worries about the effect of all of the travel on Aiden himself.

“If I feel this way he has to feel one thousand times worse. And that’s why he’s the true definition of a warrior,” she said.

Despite side-effects of the treatment like vomiting, a distended abdomen, rapid weight loss, and severe skin irritation, Aiden is still pushing through.

Aiden has metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis is rare; pancreatic cancer has historically not affected children, but Aiden’s case seems to be one in a million.

Aiden’s family has fought tirelessly for him and his health. His mother recalls spending nights and days at a time calling cancer clinics around the country.

“I called almost every hospital in the country,” Bartley said. “...Texas, New York, Boston. But nobody would take him because he’s a child with adult pancreatic cancer.”

Originally, Aiden’s complex diagnosis made it difficult to find a clinic or hospital to suit his needs. Many places, according to his mother, denied him. They were unable to form a treatment plan that took into account his diagnosis and his age.

Finally, Bartley found the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center. There, doctors began to assess Aiden’s needs and formulate a plan of care for him. Aiden underwent a rigorous chemotherapy regimen in Cleveland, often receiving the chemo for hours at a time and then spending the night in the hospital, where he would be put on fluids for twelve hours to flush the medicine from his kidneys.

The objective of this all, of course, was aimed at shrinking Aiden’s tumors. But the tumors didn’t shrink; they grew.

After months of care, it seemed that Aiden’s condition was moving in the wrong direction. As such, the Cleveland Clinic decided Aiden’s needs could be better addressed elsewhere.

In May, the Aiden began receiving care at the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Medicine in California.

It was there that the Bartleys met Drs. Tara Seery and Patrick Soon-Shiang, who have been critical in the development of Aiden’s treatment. These doctors give Aiden a combination of chemotherapy and NK cell treatment, which entails shots of N-803 and Tubex each time he is seen.

The Bartleys are holding a fundraiser to help with medical and travel costs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3 at the Prospect Fire Hall.

Tickets are $10 per person. It will feature a bake sale, pancakes, a 50/50 raffle, a face painting booth, a basket auction and more.

Many local businesses and families have pitched in items or goods that can be bid on or purchased there. There will even be an opportunity to win a trip to Mexico.

All proceeds will go to Aiden’s family directly, and will be put toward the travel and medical care he so desperately needs.

Those unable to attend the fundraiser can still contribute to Aiden’s care by calling or emailing Aiden’s grandmother, Connie Wetzel, at 724-498-6420 or clb617@zoominternet.net.