Dawson Babiak, 4-year-old son of Wayland and Hopkins teachers Alison and Jason Babiak, continues to face challenges associated with his leukemia.

His mother posted on Faebook this morning:

“We finally received some answers about Dawson’s lingering cough that he has had for the past two months. It was caused by drainage that has developed into a sinus infection. The doctors diagnosed it yesterday by sending him to get an x-ray of his sinuses. I never knew it was possible for an x-ray to show a sinus infection.

“We have not asked yet but Jason thinks that the x-ray would be a haze of white, measured by opaqueness, because of the buildup of fluid. Bones are dense so they are white in x-rays. The air in lungs show up as black. Doctors are still waiting to determine how they are going to treat the sinus infection until he is done with his chemo. They want to make sure the chemo is doing its job without any interference from other drugs.

“My husband would say that they want only one variable in the experiment. For now we are on fever watch to make sure the bacteria causing the infection does not grow out of control causing the body to spike a temperature.

“Dawson is also scheduled to have an echo cardiogram tomorrow. He had one back when he was first diagnosed to establish a baseline, how his heart was functioning at the time. The echo he will have tomorrow will see if the chemo he has received so far is affecting how his heart is pumping. It will also help the doctors determine the dosage of his chemo in the next phase and/or if any additional medications need to be given to protect Dawson’s heart.

“So many different side effects that we need to be aware of and understand. Please pray that Dawson’s heart is healthy, and he can receive the appropriate dose of chemo. Also pray that his sinus infection clears up soon.”

Dawson was diagnosed with leukemia last year and since has been undergoing treatment and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. He was declared cancer free last winter, but complications continue to present challenges.

The Prayers for Dawson web site still can be found on the Internet.