Born January 30, 1996 Earned her Angel Wings on March 8, 2005
Ray-Anne was diagnosed 2/9/04 with an Inoperable Pontine Glioma Brain Stem tumor. Just about on her 8th birthday Ray-Anne started complaining of seeing double, and we noticed her eyes were starting to go cross. First thought was..."Welp, looks like it's time to see an Optomitrist". Our insurance however made us get a referal from our Primary Dr. in order to see the Optomitrist. So I made the appointment. Once at the Dr's she suggested we go get a CT Scan done because "coinsidentally" Ray had been hit on the same side the eye was crossing by a basketball and she wanted to make sure nothing had "been rattled loose". Once at the Imaging Center the technician noticed a "mass" that concerned him and so they ordered an MRI. Well this is where it all begins....After the MRI we were sent back to her primary doctor where we were told that they had found a tumor in our Sunshine's brain. Now the search of our lives begin to find her... "The Miracle".
The brain is the control center of the body and mind, governing everything from movement, sensation and speech, to thought, emotion and memory. Because the brain is divided into regions that control specific functions throughout the body, a tumor in a particular area of the brain is likely to have an impact on the actions it governs.
The brainstem controls our most basic functions, many of which happen without our thinking about them at all. Three structures make up the brainstem: • The medulla controls breathing, swallowing, blood pressure and heart rate • The pons links the cerebellum to the cerebrum (This is where Ray’s Tumor was located) • The midbrain governs basic vision and hearing What Is A Brain Tumor Every year, about 2,000 American children under the age of sixteen are diagnosed with a brain tumor. There are many different types of brain tumors. Brain tumors can vary in how they grow, affect the body, and respond to treatment. A tumor is any abnormal mass in or on the body that is caused by an accumulation of cells dividing--and thus increasing in number--in an uncontrolled way. Primary tumors are made up of cells unique to the organ or tissue where they start. Secondary tumors start somewhere else in the body and spread, or metastasize, to one or more sites. Most brain tumors in children are primary, meaning that they start in the brain and are not the result of malignant cells spreading to the brain from another location in the body. A primary tumor in the brain rarely spreads beyond the brain and spinal cord. The cause of most brain tumors is not known. Researchers are looking into environmental and genetic factors for clues, but there are little conclusive data on what causes childhood tumors that start in the brain. Are Tumors Cancerous? In most cases- no. A tumor is termed cancerous because of the way the cells appear under the microscope and its ability to spread, or metastasize, beyond it's original site to other parts of the body. Many primary brain tumors are benign pathologically but are considered "malignant" due to their location within the brain. Thus, psychologically and practically, brain tumors are a lot like cancerous tumors. The treatments are often the same, and resources that are helpful to cancer patients, such as cancer support groups, the American Cancer Society, and the National Cancer Institute, are helpful to patients with brain tumors. Brainstem Tumors Ray-Anne had a brainstem glioma, specifically a diffuse pontine glioma. Brain and spinal tumors in childhood (0-15 years) account for 20-25% of childhood cancer, affecting one in 2500 children. Within the group of brain and spinal tumors there are a number of well defined categories with characteristic clinical presentations, biological behavior, and suitability for specific treatment approaches. These factors combine to predict a range of outcomes from the highly curable tumors (> 80% 10 year survival rate) such as germinoma and cerebellar astrocytoma, through to the virtually incurable brainstem glioma. Brainstem gliomas account for about 10% of all brain and spinal tumors. We define the brainstem as extending from the midbrain (tectal plate) to the medullary cervical junction. Therefore, brainstem glioma is a term describing a collection of anatomically related tumors with characteristic appearances on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Because they are frequently not biopsied, "glioma" is used as a "catch all" term unless a histological diagnosis has been made. Most brainstem gliomas transiently respond to radiotherapy as judged by the alleviation of neurological symptoms and evidence for improved duration of survival in patients given higher doses (> 50 Gy v < 50 Gy) of radiotherapy For those with diffuse characteristics located within the pons, the duration of response is brief and progressive symptoms can be expected at a median of about nine months after diagnosis. Because of their location, brainstem gliomas typically cause sudden dramatic symptoms, such as double vision, clumsiness, difficulty swallowing and weakness. Surgery is not usually an option. Radiation therapy, with or without chemotherapy is preferred.
For those wanting to send cards and/or gifts to Ray-Anne here is the mailing address: 2031 SE 147th St. Portland,OR 97233
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Melody Cheyenne Isaac Emerald
For those of you who have been asking us how to donate funds on behalf of Ray-Anne there has been an account set up at: Conner's Cause for Children 12463 Rancho Bernardo Rd #263, San Diego, CA 92128 www.connerscause.org Phone:858-679-1220
It has been awhile since I have updated....I believe this will be my last.
This page was originally started to keep you all updated and informed of how Ray was doing during her battle with the brain tumor, it served its purpose and now the page will serve purpose as a reference page for anyone who needs it or for anyone who just wants to look at Ray's sweet face on the day they need a smile or even a cry.
Please if your faced with learning about what a Pontine Glioma Brain Stem Tumor is and/or does...I urge you to read Ray-Anne's story along with the other names of carinbridge friends mentioned in her updates. There is so much you won't be told by the medical professionals and unfortunately we have lived through the cold, hard, real truth which is documented in the updates from parents who were struggling through the nightmare of our children who were attacked by a nasty thing called pontine glioma brain stem tumor. If anything, you will at least be "prepared---if such a word exsist in this case" to the journey that your child may have to face while trying to fight the beast.
To all of you who I have met through these few years by means of this webbpage and to those who have known us before/after Ray's journey, I want you all to know how appreciative I am for EVERYTHING. Every word, every email, every message, every image, every card, every phone call, every gift, every smile Ray got when she received a gift/card or visit...EVERYTHING! You are how we made it...and continue to make it through this journey. Just know that the end of the updates do not mean the end of us and/or our freindships. You can still leave emails or sign Ray's guestbooks, call, etc. I will still be reading them, I just will not be updating Ray's page.
I sign off by asking that you remember Ray every time you see the beautiful sun shine, hear a bird sing, watch that butterfly glide by or hear the laughter of a child as this is the way our Ray lives on.
Love to you all and eternally greatful, Crystal, Kristina and Angel Ray "Our Ray of Sunshine"!
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