Meet Jordan – Neuroblastoma
Jordan was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in March, 2012. He has completed treatment and is now on a clinical trial to hopefully prevent relapse.
Hope Session by C. Gonzalez Photography. website | Facebook
Meet Grace – Neuroblastoma
Grace was dx with Atypical Nodular Ganglioneuroblastoma in Sept 2010 and was NED for 9 months and relapsed Jan 2012. After more rigorous treatment which ended in Feb 2013, Grace still has a small tumor on her aorta which is inoperable. Grace loves school and is doing well in 3rd class in Gaelscoil Dara where they only speak Irish. She loves singing, piano, swimming, arts & crafts and riding her bicycle. She is very bright and inquisitive, creative and fun and she loves her baby cousins. Grace also loves to pose for the camera oftentimes getting into a nice position before she lets me take a snap!
Hope Session by Wildflower Photography Ireland. website | facebook
Meet David – Neuroblastoma
David’s cancer was discovered after he was having a hard time walking, having fevers, and was simply not being himself. It was after about a month of doing all kinds of tests to figure out what was wrong with him. Then finally in June of 2012 they found a large mass wrapped around the adrenal gland to his left kidney, and it was then confirmed that it was Neuroblastoma. We also had it confirmed that it was Stage 4.
David has been in treatment since June of 2012. He has received 8 rounds of chemo, tumor resection, 2 rounds of MIBG therapy, megachemo & stem cell transplant, 4 weeks of radiation, and he is getting ready to start Immunotherapy/Antibodytherapy. He’s also had countless CT scans, bone marrow biopsies, and MIBG scans.
David handles treatments like a trooper. He rarely got sick during chemo and dealt well with the boredom and isolation of MIBG Therapy. His roughest treatment was the megachemo and stem cell transplant. But he handles treatment and bounces back very quickly!
David’s personality can be described with this sentence, “The class clown and jokester!” He loves playing jokes on people and simply being a goof. He also loves to play “shy” with his nurses and doctors during treatment, but they all know that he’s playing with them. He’s a child that can physically get sick during chemo, but then 5 mins later he’s goofing around! David loves StarWars, Football, going to school, and simply playing with his family!
Hope Session by Brittany Morgan Photography. website | facebook
Meet Maddy – Neuroblastoma
Maddy always had leg pain since she was a toddler. The week of September 17th, it got worse. She was complaining everyday and not being very active. Then she was sick for 24 hours with a fever and vomiting. So I figured virus. Then two days after that she woke up with a lymph node on her neck the size of a gum ball. So we went in to doctor. Now since Maddy was a perfectly healthy kid before this we had never been to a doctor in Texas. She had her last we’ll visit in Illinois. So this doctor didn’t know us at all. She said it was a virus, I said I’d still like blood work because of her looking anemic. She agreed. The next day I was expecting a call saying here is a prescription for iron pills but instead I get oncology is going to be calling you and don’t freak out. Excuse me?! Don’t freak out?! I did.
We went right in and was admitted that day. Five days later we got our final diagnosis, stage 4 Neuroblastoma. I will never forget September 26. The worse day of our lives. The day our world changed. I’ve taught myself to take one day at a time and stop thinking what is going to happen in the future. We live for the day.
She has gone through, countless pokes and blood transfusion, surgeries, scans, five rounds of chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, radiation, and antibody therapy. She is currently in her final months of treatment at cook children’s hospital in Fort Worth. She is doing her antibody course 3/5. She is a sassy lil fighter that is so excited to start kindergarten this month.
Maddy’s support page Miracle 4 Maddy.
Meet Brady – Neuroblastoma
Brady is an energetic four-year-old who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma in August 2012. We got to spend a super fun morning at Fenway Park, and Brady even got to run the bases! Aside from the Red Sox, Brady also loves trains (CSX ones, to be specific. Go big, or go home, right?), John Deere, Mickey Mouse, and the New England Patriots.
In the last year, Brady has undergone six cycles of chemo, several MIBG scans, CT scans, bone marrow biopsies and received multiple blood & platelet transfusions. There have also been several inpatient stays due to fever and neutropenia. The tumor and his left adrenal gland were been removed on 11/29/2012. Several tests and scans were complete in January in preparation for Stem Cell Transplant. However, the MIBG scan at that time showed 4 spots remained on his bone (1 on each thigh, 1 on the right lower leg & another on the left upper arm). We were advised that it is best to go into stem cell transplant with the least amount of Neuroblastoma. His doctors decided the next best step was MIBG therapy (basically radiation that is injected into his central line and only targets the Neuroblastoma). MIBG therapy was complete in January 2013. In March 2013, he underwent aStem Cell Transplant which involved high dose chemo and an impatient stay of approximately 4 weeks; he received his transplant on 3/19/2013. He completed 12 sessions of radiation therapy (last session was on 5/14/2013). His most recent bone marrow biopsy in June came back negative for Neuroblastoma! MIBG scans post MIBG therapy and in May showed only 3 of the 4 spots remained on his bone. On 6/17/2013 he began ch14.18 Antibody Therapy. He completed 100 days of isolation post stem cell transplant on 6/27/2013. The most recent MIBG scan was clear! He is finishing up antibody therapy and will have end of protocol scans during the first week of December.
Brady’s fighter page : Brady’s Mission
Hope Session by Melissa Van Ruiten Photography. website | facebook
Meet Arianna – Neuroblastoma
Arianna was diagnosed at age 3 ( June 2009) with stage IV Neuroblastoma she had 18 months of intense treatment at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and was NED ( no eminent disease) by Jan 2011 then the day before Thanksgiving Nov 2011 we found out she had relapsed. She start treatment on a phase II trial at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis and has now had 17 rounds of Chemo and some decrease in disease. We are still fighting hard to find a way to get her into remission if at all possible.
Arianna’s support page www.caringbridge.org/visit/ariannarosedougan
Hope Session by Stacey Vukelj – NYC Photography. Website | Facebook