My brother John was diagnosed with stage IV High Risk Neuroblastoma in the April of 2012 at the age of 5. After his diagnosis he went through 9 rounds of chemotherapy, 20 rounds of radiation, 4 surgeries, numerous bone marrow tests, and a stem cell transplant. John was lucky enough to be effectively treated and then cured of his disease after years of fighting.
From the moment John was diagnosed with his cancer, to the moment he was declared to have no evidence of disease in his body; my family’s world was turned upside down. Our regular, peaceful lives were a thing of the past and we were thrust into a world of perpetual fear and worry.
As we watched John go through his various treatments while fighting for his life we experienced many ups and downs that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. I am fortunate enough to be able to say that my brother beat this terrible disease. John and our family’s story has a happy ending that we are all so grateful for.
I have experienced firsthand what childhood cancer can do to a family and I want to do whatever I can to minimize the number of families that have to go through that experience. The goal of the Ribbons of Gold Fund is to raise funds for childhood cancer research through organizations like COG and BEAT NB. By supporting those who research and develop new treatments and cures to childhood cancer we hope to lessen the number of diagnoses each year and to increase the number of families that are battling childhood cancer that are able to eventually tell stories with happy endings like ours.