To help bring even more awareness to childhood cancer this September, we at The Gold Hope Project decided to give a platform to all the childhood cancer heroes. Their story in their words.
Ashton
Diagnosis and Prognosis – Hepatoblastoma- 3 years in remission on Sept 5, 2015
How did you discover they had cancer? We took Ashton in for her 2 year well visit and had no idea that she was sick! She wasn’t showing any signs of being sick! The doctor saved her life because he was very thorough and discovered that she had a mass on her liver.
What was your perception of childhood cancer before your child’s diagnosis? I remember months prior to my daughter getting cancer, I was driving in my car and listening to a fundraiser on the radio that was going on at St. Judes. Families were sharing their story of losing their child to cancer and I was crying nonstop in my car. I remember thinking that I would be devastated if that ever happened to my child.
What kinds of treatments and procedures has your child been through? Are there any struggles your family faces because of treatment? Ashton went through 6 cycles of chemo and she went through surgery to remove 65 % of her liver.
What did you learn about childhood cancer after your child was diagnosed? Was there anything that shocked you about the disease? I was just especially shocked by how many children go through cancer everyday! When you don’t know a child that has cancer you feel like it must be very rare. After searching for others that were going through our same experience I was saddened by the number of children I found battling cancer.
If there was one thing you wish people could do to help a family with a child battling cancer, what would that be? I think helping the family get connected with other families going through cancer would help out a lot! I found a lot of families going through the same thing but it was after her treatment. I would have loved to have more of a support group that could relate to us. Now I’m part of a hepatoblastoma group on Facebook and its amazing the amount of support that everyone gives out to families that are either done with treatment or are going through treatment right now.
What do you think about The Gold Hope Project’s mission to bring awareness to childhood cancer through photography? I think its beautiful!! I’m studying photography now and one day hope to be a part of the Gold hope project!
Thank you Monica for sharing Ashton’s story!
Submit your fighter’s story here.
Ready to do more? How about joining the #randomactofhope movement?