“Leah was 16 when she was diagnosed with a GBM stage 4 brain cancer . She had the tumor removed on Nov 26 th of 2012 and it turned out that tumor was encapsulated !
But she still had to go through 32 radiation treatments and 14 month of Chemo .
She finished her regimen on Feb . 24
2014 ! All her MRI’s had been clear of cancer all the way till March of 2014 !
Then during the middle of April of 2014 she started showing weird symptoms , we were thinking that she maybe was dealing with the aftermath of her chemo regimen .
Leah started getting weaker and losing more mobility with every day .
She also had moments of not remembering things , peoples names etc.
She did go to her senior prom on May 3rd . On the Monday after prom she had a doctor appointment , her doctor was very concerned seeing her condition .
He scheduled her next MRI earlier then previously planed .
I got the call from her doctor shortly after : asking me to please sit down:
Leah had a new tumor , this time in a spot that there was no surgery possible !! Also due to the size of the tumor , no radiation possible !
The only option : more chemo to buy her more time ! Hoping for a miracle of course .
Leah declined very fast and within 3 month of her relapse passed away on August 7th 2014!
She was the most caring and loving , fun young lady ! The best daughter a mother could ask for . Throughout her 2 years of fighting she never complained and still was supporting others !
I miss her more with every day” – Gabi G

“November 12, 2013 is a day that will be forever etched into our minds.  Arriving at the ER at 6:00 AM, I was determined to find the answers to my daughter Harlie’s abdominal pain.  This was the 3^rd Dr. visit in 11 days.  Other off and on symptoms mixed into the equation were fever, cough, runny nose, constipation, diarrhea and throwing up.  The only constant symptom was abdominal/pelvic pain which seemed to get worse with increased activity.  I was so sure this was a case of appendicitis.   After the initial examination and a normal urine and white blood cell count the Dr. ordered an x-ray and CT scan.  5 hours after we arrived at the ER we got the results of the CT.  It was not appendicitis.  I remember being so mad when the Dr said it wasn’t, surely there had to be a reason for the abdominal pain.  He went on to tell me that they found a very large mass.  The mass was so large that it covered most of Harlie’s pelvic cavity.   I was stunned and numb; I was in a state of shock.  From that point I heard about every 4^th or 5^th word.  We were told to go home and pack and go to the nearest hospital that had a pediatric oncologist, which was three and a half hours away. When we arrived at the hospital it was too late in the day to do a biopsy, so one was performed first thing the next morning.   On November 13, 2013, we were told our 7 year old daughter had Germ Cell Ovarian Cancer.   Nothing in life prepares you for that moment when a Dr. tells you that your child has cancer.  Life is so unfair.   On November 14^th, 2013, our daughter had surgery to remove the tumor and her left ovary.  The surgery removed about 90% of the cancer.  They also installed a port into her shoulder so she could receive chemotherapy.    In the subsequent months she had 3 chemo treatments.  A second surgery was performed in February to remove some residual spots that were questionable.  The spots were biopsied and on February 20^th, 2014 we were told our daughter was cancer free!” – Jayne C

“Steven is an AMAZING BOY! He ways has a smile on his face he has shown our entire community how strong children battling childhood cancer really are! He always makes it known that leukemia and chemo is hard but he will show leukemia who’s boss!!! ” – Anabel B

“Our son caught a hard battle but this awful disease beat him. Dylan was an inspiration to everyone especially his classmates at Cascade Elementary School. They just recently had a Buddy Bench dedicated in his memory. He was so full of love and was friendly to everyone.” – Pearl S

“Will was diagnosed with a very high risk and aggressive form of Leukemia in November 2013. His Cancer proved to be stubborn and after several grueling rounds of chemo and radiation being unsuccessful, we needed a new plan. Enter the 16 year old sister, Hazel who has a 30% chance of being a match for bone marrow transplant. Oh happy day whe we found out she was a match! My son and daughter amaze me with their incredible attitudes about life they are heroes. Will is cancer free today. He hopes to create a foundation to help others with cancer with an emphasis on teens. He hopes to visit kids all over the country to encourage them to find their inner warrior. ” – Nancy J

“Sidney recognizes the importance of friendship among kids with cancer. That’s why he started CCChampions, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that creates special friendships for kids with cancer! CCChampions recruits inspirational people in the community, like pro athletes and TV personalities, and creates long-term, 1-on-1 friendships! Sidney is creating a treatment for the social hardships of cancer! He is hero and an inspiration!” – Mia D