Cure Childhood Cancer

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September 30th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Patrick Chance and Brennan Simkins

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 30, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Patrick Chance and Brennan Simkins. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Patrick and Brennan’s fund.

True friends share each other’s joy and pain, and that couldn’t be more true in the world of childhood cancer. However, when life long friends share the heartbreak of each having their middle son diagnosed with childhood cancer, sharing each other’s fears, heartache, and triumphs takes on a magnified meaning. This is the story of two families touched by equally daunting childhood cancers and our shared fight to save our boys and to be a part of the effort to find the CURE.

Press On to CURE Childhood Cancer provides desperately needed funding for research relating to neuroblastoma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Press On was created by Erin and Stephen Chance after their three-year-old son, Patrick, was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma in June 2006. The Press On mission was expanded to include AML in 2009 when Tara and Turner Simkins joined forces with the Chances as a result of their son Brennan’s diagnosis with AML on the eve of his seventh birthday.

Patrick completed 34 months of treatment in March 2009 and relapsed in June 2009. Three months after this difficult news Brennan relapsed in September 2009 and again in September 2010. After five years of continuous treatment, Patrick passed away on his ninth birthday, January 9, 2012. Brennan continues to live a full life while battling the side effects of four bone marrow transplants. He is in remission and returned to school this year. He is truly a miracle.

The Chances and Simkins have shared a friendship for practically their entire adult lives. The brutal coincidence of their sons’ battles with these diseases underscores their firm belief that the on going experience “in the trenches” with these kids offers a providential opportunity to help raise money that can be directed to therapies and trials that can make a difference now. From this perspective, their lives will be always changed for the better, aided by true friendship and faith to Press On through any circumstances for a CURE.

The Chances and Simkins have often summoned the will to “press on” (Philippians 3:12-16) during the most difficult days of their war on cancer. You can help all the innocent children fighting neuroblastoma and AML by making a donation to help Press On meet our fundraising goal during CURE’s Kids Conquer Childhood Cancer One Day at a Time.


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September 30th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Laura Roush

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 30, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Laura Roush. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Laura’s fund.

My dearest Laura,

I still can’t believe it. We were sent home from Aflac on February 10, 2011 – treatment was deemed ineffective and we were to prepare for the end – hospice. Your final 3 weeks of life were such a blur. I am stunned it all transpired so quickly. That first week and a half, it was all about living life to the fullest. You were able to see Cinderella’s castle at Disney World, be pampered with a day at the spa, and enjoy a wonderful dinner in Atlanta with your family. We also savored one more beautiful day outside with a poolside picnic as we soaked up the sun and watched the wind in the pines. On this day, I asked how you wanted to be remembered. You said, “Carefree, fun-loving, and a good friend.” You also requested that we play the song “Defying Gravity” at your memorial service. Then, you became very sad and didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Later” you said. Later never came.

I watched with great sadness as cancer stole more of you away with each passing day. As your short term memory lapsed and your body weakened, you became more sad and frustrated. Despite your sadness, your fighting spirit never waned as you struggled to do things yourself – it was heartbreaking to see you concede that you no longer could. Dad and I helped you walk and we held you often. The last week of your life, I watched you fade more each day with each passing seizure. Paralyzed and unable to speak, I knew you were listening from the movement of your eyes. We listened to music together on your iPod and to your favorite shows on TV – knowing always – you were listening. Your beloved brother came home from college on the weekend to spend time with you, and promised he would return in four days. He asked you to hold on until he returned.

March 3, 2011

You had a seizure in the morning, making your lips turn blue. Then the seizure stopped leaving you exhausted. Your brother is coming today from Minnesota. “Hurry Eric”, I prayed, and you listened. When he arrived, you awoke and your features show a faint smile. For the next two hours, he held your hand and you both dozed. Two massive seizures then took your life as Dad, Eric and I tried to help and comfort you. I held you as you took your last breaths – just like I did when you took your first breaths – as I promised I would. After you died, Dad noticed that you had a radiant smile on your face. God’s gift to us – a promise fulfilled. You were now free. Free of cancer and pain. Free to soar and defy gravity.

We’ve chosen the spot for your memorial garden – in the woods, under the towering pines. As promised, there are fairy statues and lights in the trees on special nights. I still can’t believe you are gone and my sense of loss is profound. I know that you are with the Lord and your pain is gone, which brings me some comfort. A comfort that I hope will grow with time. I miss you Laura and will remember you always.

Love,

Mom

Laura’s Epitaph:

Laura Roush was afflicted with Constitutional Mismatch Repair Disorder, also called “Childhood Cancer Syndrome”, which predisposed her to developing multiple primary cancers in the first two decades of life. She was first diagnosed with colon cancer (carcinoma) at age 16 and then glioblastoma 10 months later. Laura fought a 13 month battle with both cancers, undergoing numerous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens, and countless complications. Laura was born on September 30, 1993 and earned her angel wings on March 3, 2011. She was 17 and had earned 525 Bead of Courage.
CURE and Aflac were there for our family during our battle and beyond. Please support CURE’s mission with a donation in Laura’s memory.

- Dave, Anne, and Eric Roush


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September 29th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Katelyn Silviano

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 29, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Katelyn Silviano. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Katelyn’s fund.

My daughter Katelyn (KK) was diagnosed with ALL Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on Feb 21, 2012, two months before her 5th birthday.

She was always a very healthy girl, having the normal illnesses that a toddler would get. Leading up to diagnosis, she was getting low grade fevers, would be clammy, and started bruising. That is when I pushed to do more testing. She was being treated for upper respiratory infections with steroids. Later, we learned that was covering up the leukemia cells.

On February 21, after school (Pre K) we were on our way to ballet (she loves) and she fell asleep on the way. Then at class she said that her legs hurt so much. I dont know why, but my heart sank. I called her pediatrician and said that I needed an immediate appointment. I thought, I dont care if they think I am a nag. Something is wrong.

That day our lives changed forever. A Nurse Practitioner examined KK and felt a mass in her abdomen. She wanted a second opinion from the doctor and after blood work we were sent to the hospital believing that our daughter had a tumor.

At the hospital we found out that the enlarged belly or the “mass” that the Pediatrician felt was an enlarged spleen. The Doctor said very confident that what KK had was Leukemia and that with further testing he would know what kind it was.

So there it is. She has responded very well to all the treatment and Chemo. KK went into remission after a month. She has not lost her hair. We have had numerous platelets and blood transfusions and many hospital stays for fevers. She has been on a two week break and if all well next week, she starts Delayed Intensification – the last phase before entering Maintenance.

KK love to dance. She is currently on a ballet team and is now taking jazz classes as well. She loves to paint and wants to be a Doctor, Princess and an Astronaut when she grows up!

KK’s favorite animal is a duck. She loves ducks.

I would like to tell you that 36 children are diagnosed with some form of cancer per day. 6 will loose their battle and their average age is 6 years old.

Stories like mine have been heard so many times. It’s not that rare as you may think. We need a cure! These children deserve a cure. So $5, $10, $20 will help! September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. But to us, every month is.


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September 29th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Tommy Peterson

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 29, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Tommy Peterson. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Tommy’s fund.

I have a Question for you.

Do you have a friend? What do you do with your friends? Do you go to the mall? Watch movies? Play sports? Do you talk to when they are down or mad at their parents? Do you ‘isten to them when they are upset because some girl doesn’t like them? What do you do when your friend loses his battle with cancer right before he turned 7? That’s my situation. When I was little my best friend Tommy Peterson died of a brain tumor. He was a cool kid. He liked to play superheros, Sonic, swim, play Mario video games and play on his swing set at home. We enjoyed eating out eating in and talking about eating.  We would race around the house playing tag and climb on the ladders his dad set up for us. I remember sitting in a tub his dad took out of the bathroom when remodeling it and left the tub out for us to play in. That tub became a boat, a plane, even a lair for superhero’s to hide in.  It was anything we wished it to be.

What can I do for my friend now? He wasn’t just my friend then. People are not just friend or dads when they are here with us on earth. You see,  not long before I lost Tommy I lost my dad. A driver on drugs took him from me when I was almost 4. Tommy was there for me. He put his arm around me and said he was sorry. He played with me to keep me busy. Not long before Tommy left he said “I remember your guy.” My mom was with us and we asked “What guy?”  He said, “You know your Dad guy. He use to take me high in the sky.”  I asked my mom and she said my Dad would come and pick me up from Tommy’s house and that’s when my Dad would pick up Tommy and hold him up so high that Tommy’s back would touch the ceiling. Tommy loved that!

So how can I being there for my friend now? I am remembering him, I talk about him, I have a picture in my room and in my living room, I use words he used like “Bobus” ( That’s a fun name he called his momma) and I am writing all of you. I am asking for help, help to find a cure for childhood cancer. I can’t really imagine what it was like for little my friend. The shots, the medicine, losing hair having to be sick all the time and having to leave his Mommy and Daddy. I lost my Dad but he lost both parents. Give to the cure, be a friend, and help a friend. Everyone is effected when we lose kids, kids that are special and are supposed to grow up and make a difference in this world. So be a friend and make that difference in this world for my friend Tommy……. find the Cure!

Thank you,

Luke A Honeycutt

13 years old


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September 29th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Austin Taylor

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 29, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Austin Taylor. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Austin’s fund.

It’s hard to believe that in one month we will reach the 5 year mark of hearing those heartbreaking and terrifying words…”Your child has cancer”.

In September 2007, our world completely changed when we heard those words. Everything we were focusing on as a family changed in that split second. We were now in the fight of our lives to save the life of our 2 year old son and nothing else mattered. Austin was like any other 2 year old, running around playing with his friends at school and busy living his life. He didn’t know anything about hospitals or teams of doctors and certainly not chemo or surgery, but how quickly he had to learn after a diagnosis of Stage IV High Risk Neuroblastoma.

Over the course of 15 months, Austin had 6 rounds of chemo, surgery to remove his tumor, 2 rounds of high dose chemo requiring stem cell rescues after each, 13 days of radiation, and 6 months of an oral medication, which all ended November 30, 2008.

Over the last 3 1/2 years, Austin has gone from having scans and labwork every 3 months to finishing his last scans in January 2012. Please do not misunderstand and think that his oncologist stopped scans because Austin is completely out of any danger of this evil disease returning. For the rest of Austin’s life, there will be some risk of this cancer returning or some other form of cancer developing due to his treatment, but the scans produce more radiation than his body should be exposed to.

His doctors will continue to monitor him every 6 months with labwork and exams. They will also monitor him for a long list of possible long term side effects due to his treatment. We choose not to focus on the risk of relapse and possible side effects. We focus on the fact that in September 2007 we weren’t sure if Austin would still be with us 5 years later and here he is starting 2nd grade and looking forward to his 8th birthday.

He loves swimming, fishing, and playing football and plans to pick up soccer and karate in the fall. Tears well up in my eyes when I see him doing the “little things”: receiving an award at school, learning to swim, or playing with his little brother. Research funded by groups like CURE make it possible for us to experience these “little things” and for us to enjoy another day with Austin and create a lifetime of memories. Treatment for childhood cancer is in desperate need of new drugs and new protocols. These children receive chemo that was developed for adults and many of them become resistent or don’t even respond to their protocol. CURE funds research, helps spread the word that children are diagnosed and die of cancer every single day, and they provide support and hope to families in their darkest hours. With their help and determination, the prayer is a future that has a cure for childhood cancer.


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September 28th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Breanna Alvarez

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 28, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Breanna Alvarez. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Breanna’s fund.

My name is Adriana and I have a beautiful butterfly by the name Breanna Alvarez and I would love to share our story.

Breanna was born on October 07, 2001. She was a little fighter from the beginning; she was a normal baby for the first and second months of her life until she turned 3 months old. The date was January 12, 2002 and she had just turned 3 months on the 7th. I was 18 years old with a 3 month old baby girl (Breanna) that was sick and I had no idea what was going on.

I remember taking her to the doctor and as soon as the doctor heard her cry he said that I had to take her to Texas Children’s hospital because she was crying of pain. We rushed her to the ER where the staff did all kinds of tests. Then, all the doctors and residents come into our room that was filled with our loving family to break the news that my little angel had been diagnosed with infantile leukemia. I turned to look at my baby in her hospital bed with an IV on her fore head. My heart broke in a million pieces and my family was devastated with the news. I cried like I had never cried before – asking myself “What happened?” “What went wrong?” I held her so tight just thinking, “even if I had all the money in the world that still couldn’t save my butterfly’s life.”

We were transported to M.D Anderson Cancer Center to the Pedi floor. Breanna was the smallest in the whole hospital at one point and because of that she had a lot of attention from everybody. Doctors automatically started her on chemo. She had a 2% survivor rate so the next best thing was a bone marrow transplant. I had a knot in my throat just thinking about it!

Dr. Chan was the best. He researched high and low for a donor, but unfortunately nobody in our family was a match to donate bone marrow to Breanna to save her life. The doctors found a match 5/6, so we went ahead and started the transplant. Less than a week later she went into respiratory failure and got transported the ICU at TX Children’s, where she was hooked up on all the machines and a dialysis. At 8 months old she was also on a paralyzer so she wouldn’t pull her lines. I remember seeing small tears roll down her chubby face when she heard me.

On the evening of 4th of July her heart stopped from GVH (Graft-versus-host disease). The doctors managed to control everything and we went back to MD Anderson after 34 days. Miraculously, six months later we went home and continued blood and platelet transfusions as an outpatient for a full year as well as repeated spinal taps (LP).

My Beautiful Butterfly is 10 years old. She is in remission and smiles every day – medication free!


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September 28th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Abby Smith

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 28, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Abby Smith. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Abby’s fund.

Abigail Grace Smith (aka Abby) battled cancer for more than two-thirds of her life.  In mid February 2006, Abby developed balance issues which did not allow her to walk without falling.  On March 3, 2006, Abby was diagnosed with a golf ball size medulloblastoma brain tumor at the age of 23 months old.  She had a successful total tumor resection on March 6, 2006.  Unfortunately, Abby developed posterior fossa syndrome within days after surgery which caused her to lose most of her gross and fine motor skill capability for a period of time.  Abby initially underwent 4 cycles of chemotherapy, 30 days of radiation and then 8 maintenance cycles of chemotherapy.  She completed her treatment in late May, 2007.  Abby began thriving and improving and was a picture of health.  After a routine follow-up head and spine MRI on September 28, 2007, Abby was diagnosed with drop metastases in her spine in multiple places.  She had exhibited no symptoms.  All of Abby’s MRI’s and spinal taps had been clear to date with no evidence of cancer since March 6, 2006. From October 2007-March 2008, Abby endured three cycles of high dose ICE chemotherapy and a cord blood and bone marrow stem cell transplant. Abby went on to receive 25 cranial/spinal proton beam radiation treatments during late May/June 2008.  She completed her relapse treatment on June 30, 2008. Only two small places remained on Abby’s spine which continued to improve or stay stable.

For eleven months, Abby was on a 14 day cycle drug maintenance therapy.  She continued to get stronger and thrive during this time.  On June 23, 2009, fifty one weeks post relapse treatment, Abby had a routine follow-up MRI.  Her scan revealed a grape size tumor in her brain and haziness in her spine.  Two inconclusive spinal taps raised further concern.  Again, Abby had exhibited no symptoms.  To battle this second relapse, Abby began a daily metronomic chemotherapy regimen administered at home on July 20, 2009 which continued through January 27, 2011.  Abby was hospitalized on January 28, 2011 due to extreme anemia and four unrelated infections which led to sepsis, a mild stroke, seizures, the beginning of multi organ failure and seven days in the PICU.   Abby miraculously recovered and went home on February 12th.  After overcoming this ordeal, we were very optimistic about her March 22ndMRI.  Devastatingly, her MRI showed multiple lesions in the brain and at least one new lesion in the spine with haziness.  As with all other relapses, Abby was completely asymptomatic.  There were very few treatment options available for this third relapse.  Furthermore, Abby’s body told us that she was finished fighting due to problems maintaining any significant platelet count.  She was only able to receive two single drug chemotherapy infusions.  Yet, during this time, Abby continued to live a very normal, healthy, happy life.  She was the flower girl in her dear babysitter’s wedding where she walked down the aisle ALL BY HERSELF on June 25, 2011.

Beginning on July 27, 2011, Abby started exhibiting symptoms that seemed more like a viral infection.  On August 5th, Abby

 

started having balance issues and lost her ability to walk independently.  After a spiked fever brought us to the ER, Abby had a CT scan on August 8th which revealed at least two large tumors that were near her brain stem.  We spent seven days at home before tumor related complications brought us back to the hospital where she ran into Jesus’ arms on August 17, 2011 at the age of seven years old.

Through her 65 ½ month journey, Abby’s determined and fighting spirit pushed her forward each day.  She was our miracle girl!!  Throughout her cancer diagnosis, Abby lived out the meaning of her middle name as she faced all of her hospitalizations, treatments and pricks and pokes with such grace that can only come from above.  She will be forever remembered by her big blue green eyes, her beautiful heartwarming smile which connected you to her immediately, her love of pink, and her fashionable display of many bracelets at all times.  Abby loved her family with the most sincere affection and was happiest when we were all with her.  Our Christian faith has been our stronghold throughout our journey with Abby and continues to be as we face life without her.

Abby, you will always be our hero and the sweetest girl that we ever knew!!

Thank you for helping CURE as they endeavor to fund research and treatment options for the countless children like Abby affected by this terrible disease!


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September 28th, 2012

Wil Senn

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 28, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Wil Senn. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Wil’s fund.

Our second son, Wilson Patrick “WIL”, was born on August 17, 2007. He weighed 9 pounds and 13 ounces. He was the most perfect baby! We never imagined 3 months later that our whole world would be turned upside down.

It happened the week of Thanksgiving, 2007. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day was normal. Wil went to sleep that night and woke up at two in the morning screaming. Nothing would calm him down. By eight in the morning, I was waiting for his pediatrician in her office. She felt his abdomen and knew immediately something was wrong. She sent us across the street to have an x-ray and then to our local Children’s Hospital. Once they “cathed” Wil, he stopped crying and 6 ounces of urine came out. He fell asleep and was scanned again. After a few minutes the doctor came in and delivered a devastating blow. She said we needed to get to Egleston in Atlanta they were expecting us. We packed and left town within an hour. After fourteen long hours in the Emergency Room we were sent to the third floor – The Aflac Cancer floor! The walk down that hallway was so scary and so long. The bald heads, the kids with IV poles and mask on – it was terrifying! I could never imagine that within a few weeks the cancer floor would feel like home.

Within a few hours (Thanksgiving Day) we were introduced to the most amazing people. Surgeons, an oncologist, nurses, and our friends from CURE all came to the rescue. They showered us with friendship, love and most importantly HOPE. We were told our son had cancer but never once did they make us feel that it was a death sentence. They gave us HOPE and made us Believe that we were going to survive this cancer.

Two days after being diagnosed with Stage III Neuroblastoma, our three month old son was carried off to surgery to have: a biopsy of the tumor, port implanted, bone marrow aspirations and a supapubic catheter implanted. After a three hour surgery he was brought back to us where we embraced him, and took a deep breathe to prepare for the next step. Back on the Aflac floor again, his port was accessed for the first time and the first round of chemo began. He had an EKG, bone scans, MIBG injection, and MIBG scan.

The next months consisted of more chemo, scans, clamping his cath off to see if he could finally urinate on his own. I remember the first urine shower we got and we laughed, cheered and cried. In all, Wil had four rounds of chemo, two surgeries, countless pricks, IV’s,  and he has had numerous scans a year. He spent twenty two nights in the hospital and all of this before he turned one. After 8 long weeks he had the catheter removed and scans revealed that the chemo was working and the tumor has shrunk.

Words cannot describe the doctors and nurses at Egleston. They have been inspiring and helpful and have done nothing but instill Hope into our lives. On August 13, 2012 our precios son started “BIG” school. He is so proud to be in Pre-K at Springdale. Because of CURE’s dedication to research for children’s cancer I am a mother of a childhood cancer survivor. Through Wil’s journey we have received Hope and love. With your help in sponsorship of CURE Childhood Cancer, we will continue on that path and so will so many other families.

Wil’s Mom (Mary Senn)


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September 27th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Grace Buckel

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 27, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Grace Buckel. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Grace’s fund.

My child has cancer.  No matter how many times I tell myself, it can still take my breath away. Just a few months ago, Grace was a normal twelve year-old girl who loved playing soccer. Now she’s thirteen and is being treated for osteosarcoma, a bone cancer.

Back in February of 2012, Grace complained of pain above her right knee, believing she had been kicked during a soccer game.  For several weeks, we sought treatment at a chiropractor, treating her pain as a sports injury.  Eventually, however, we made our way to an orthopedic sports medicine doctor the Friday before Spring Break began.  After just one x-ray, he knew that this was no sports injury.  In fact, I was told Grace had either an infection or a “growth”, and he wanted her to have an MRI immediately.  After asking Grace to leave the room, I asked him if by growth, he meant tumor.  His answer, yes.  My heart dropped to my stomach.  From there, our lives changed on a dime.  A phone call from the doctor that night and our Spring Break trip was cancelled.  Instead, we were scheduled for an MRI on Saturday, biopsy on Monday.  Hearing the doctor confirm our worst fears was nightmarish; there’s no other way to put it.  But it wasn’t the hardest part.  No, the hardest part was telling Grace, and then telling her older sister, Caroline.  Throughout all we’ve had to endure, so far, that day alone has been the hardest.

Once Grace was diagnosed, her road to recovery began.  While all of Grace and Caroline’s friends were enjoying Spring Break, Grace was undergoing a bone scan, ct scan, echo cardiogram, and meeting her oncologist for the first time, learning what her treatment protocol would be.  So much information in such a short time.  Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that occurs during a growth spurt, a genetic mutation that turns normal cells into abnormal cells.   Typically, osteo occurs in males, African American.  So, why Grace?  In actuality, we’ve seen the disease in boys and girls equally, with no regard to race.

Soon, Grace was having another surgery, this time for her port placement.  Immediately following that, she was scheduled for her first of many chemo treatments.  We made our way to the AFLAC Cancer Center as Grace recovered from surgery and waited for her in our room.  That first walk into the unit and our room was heartbreaking…this was really happening, and there was no going back.  My heart truly broke for my child that day.  I didn’t want her to have to endure what was coming-the nausea, being bald, missing out on so much.  Since, that first day, however, after all of the chemo and hospital visits, the AFLAC unit has become, not a home away from home, but a safe place to land.  That is because of so many wonderful people-especially the nurses we love so much.

Grace has endured so much, and she still has a way to go.  Recently, I asked her if she ever wondered why she was chosen for cancer.  Her answer, “No, I know it’s God’s plan for me”.  That’s my wise child.  She is so strong but is still a kid who just wants to be better.  When she finishes treatment sometime in November or December, she will have had sixteen rounds of inpatient chemo, and two rounds of outpatient chemo.  In addition, she had surgery in July to remove the tumor from her femur and replace most of her femur with a cadaver bone, a surgery called an allograft.  Additionally, part of her fibula was moved to her femur to provide added support.  Her recovery from surgery is expected to last from eight to twelve months.  Following that, Grace is expected to be able to be as active as she wants to be!

Although this road has been incredibly rocky, we have much to be thankful for…Grace’s tumor necrosis of 97%, Grace’s sister, Caroline who has been more than we could ask for through all of this, the wonderful doctors and nurses at Scottish Rite, the support of family and friends, and the support of organizations like CURE Childhood Cancer, which works to find a cure for childhood cancer-here in Atlanta.  They also provide patient and family support on an ongoing basis.  Please consider giving to CURE…for Grace and so many others like her.


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September 27th, 2012

CURE Childhood Cancer Honors Lucas Lane

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Join us today, September 27, 2012 as CURE Childhood Cancer honors CURE Kid Lucas Lane. Join our fight as CURE’s Kids Conquer Cancer One Day at a Time! Donate to Lucas’s fund.

Lucas was diagnosed on August 28, 2000 at the age of 2 years and nine days old with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). He went through 3 years of chemotherapy and was given a clean bill of health. For the next 7 years he was seen at Survivors Clinic and everything was going great. In February 2010 he went to Survivors Clinic and was given a clean bill of health and we were told his chances of the cancer returning had dropped to only 15%. Life was great. We settled into another full year of school and baseball, which is all Lucas studied, was baseball.

So baseball was underway and Lucas was on his game. Pitching and striking out others left and right. His team did pretty good that year and he finally made the A team for All-stars and was also playing in a GRPA tournament and also was playing on a travel ball team.
On June 21, 2010 Lucas hit his first homerun and it was actually a grand slam. What a moment in time. Little did we know that this was the last great game Lucas was going to play in. After this tournament Lucas starting complaining about elbow pain and we listened to his coaches and iced it thinking that it was probably pitchers elbow.

So his all-star team made to state in Griffin, GA. This is when Lucas started showing signs of being tired and really complaining of his elbow really hurting. I gave in and took him in and he had broken a growth plate in his elbow, which I was later told was the first sign. As the days went on his energy dropped and on Sunday July 25, 2010 he woke up with a rash.
We took him to Egelston that night and after blood work we were told he had relapsed with the exact same Leukemia. His life came to a halt. The best chance for him was a sibling matched bone marrow transplant and unfortunately his sister did not match so we started chemotherapy all over again. Lucas was a honoree player for his team this year and they went all the way for him.

Lucas is going through chemotherapy with a few setbacks but still fighting. He did not attend school last year but he is attending part time this year with the goal of becoming full time after Christmas.

Lucas is a trooper and even though his life has been put on hold twice in his life due to cancer he doesn’t let it get him down, but as a parent I can see the hurt in his eyes when he can’t play the game he loves.

The only way to ensure that he will get to return to the field to play the game he loves is to find a permanent cure for cancer. Lucas has spent half his life fighting for his life….Will you help him fight the fight?


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    Nacho Average Taco

    For May and June, order the CURE taco at Red Pepper Taqueria and $1 will be donated to CURE. The taco features chargrilled calamari, crispy eggplant, tomato, onion, sorrel, and ginger pico.


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    Home by Dark - Singer/Songwriter Show

    Saturday June 1st at 8PM at Chukkar Farm in Alpharetta, GA. A portion of the proceeds will benefit CURE. Bring your own chairs and picnic for this beautiful outdoor music event. Click here to learn more.