Abigail is artsy, musical, witty, friendly, and boho. She loves pillows and animals and her friends. She is considerate and deeply feeling. She has a special interest in medicine, social work, and history, especially WWII.
Abigail was diagnosed with a germ cell tumor in April of 2017, the day after her 10th birthday. She had been having stomach aches and we noticed a lump in her abdomen. Urgent care thought it was major constipation. The first emergency room diagnosed a dermoid cyst in her ovary but wasn’t sure they could help and just sent us away with instructions to find a specialist. Miraculously, we found a nationally recognized pediatric gynecologist only an hour away from our home and begged her nurse to let us come in the next day. She had surgery the day after that and had a cantaloupe-sized tumor removed with a cancerous nodule. She then had chemotherapy for six months and has had no evidence of disease since November 2017.
Abigail has had numerous surgeries, chemotherapy, and physical therapy. She has undergone neuropsychological testing and requires an independent education plan at school. She also has sleep and temperature regulation issues.
Our home life has been altered dramatically. After years of struggling to pay off bills— getting extra employment, downsizing, then moving across the country for a better quality of life and cost of living—we feel like our family is much closer and stronger than before. We prioritize our relationships more than before.
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