We hope you can feel just a bit of the sparkle of Lina's life. Lina was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma on April 16, 2001, at 16 months. She has finished 7 rounds of chemo, 2 autologous stem cell transplants, radiation, 3F8 antibody treatment at Sloan-Kettering, and almost 2 years of Accutane (cis-retonic acid) therapy (pulse doses of 2 weeks on/2 weeks off). All this...and always (well, almost always!) with a smile, a song, a dance, or something special to say. Please be sure to sign the guestbook - your messages encourage us and remind us of the power of love!

Please check our frequently changing links at the bottom of the page for important volunteer opportunities, charitable organizations, and more...All ways to join the fight against childhood cancer!

Journal

Thursday, April 16, 2009 11:19 AM CDT

Today marks Lina's 8th "cancer-versary." At this time 8 years ago, we were absolutely shell-shocked with the news of neuroblastoma, a cancer we had never even heard of. But today we'll remember the good things: wonderful, caring doctors, nurses, and staff; lots of good visits from family and friends; and special people we've met along the way. We'll also celebrate with Lina's special dinner request (grilled chicken salad with Ranch dressing) and lots of "kid wine" and "mock"tails. (This kid is definitely my daughter!)

I remember searching the internet in those first few days 8 years ago. Aside from frightening statistics, the other thing I found right away were other kids' caringbridge websites. Most brought tears, very few brought hope. It is my hope that someone will stumble across this page during a frightening search of their own, and they will find a glimmer of hope to grab onto.

A little girl given a 20-30% chance of surviving, who is as healthy as any other third grader. Just a girl who loves Webkinz and reading, playing with friends and playing on the computer. Just a girl whose new classmates didn't believe her when she said she gets a shot every day (growth hormone). Then they REALLY didn't believe her when told them why she needed the shot (cancer treatment made her not grow enough). Just a girl who knows a lot about doctors and hospitals, and doesn't cry or complain when she gets her blood drawn every few months (for hormone levels or CBCs). Just a girl on Honor Roll who is being assessed for gifted placement this spring. And just a girl who bosses her brother around and can't stand it when he gets into her stuff.

Maybe you've got "just" one of those kids too. God speed.

Read Journal History

Links:

E-mail Author: natalie@dentxllc.com

---

 

Your gift will help millions of people stay connected with friends and loved ones during challenging times.

---

 

This page has been viewed 62955 times.

Note: The foregoing information was authored by the patient, parent or guardian, or other parties who are solely responsible for the content. Such announcements or their content are not necessarily endorsed by CaringBridge, Inc. or any sponsoring agent.  This information does not confirm that anyone is or was actually a patient at any facility.