The Coveney Kids

In January 2003, at age four-and-a-half, Carolyn was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma. Her treatment consisted of 5 rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, an 11.5 hour surgery to remove her primary tumor, 56 days of 3F8 Monoclonal Antibody treatments, a peripheral blood stem cell (bone marrow) transplant, 14 cycles of radiation, 6 cycles of high-dose 13-cis-retinoic acid, and 4 cycles of low-dose oral VP16.


She is a Five Year Event Free Survivor!


Thank you for joining our family in this journey. The support and love we receive from our friends helps us face each day with courage and hope.

Please take a minute to sign the guestbook
and let us know you were here!

Journal

Thursday, May 1, 2008 12:07 AM CDT

Dear Friends,

It’s Spring and that means it’s time again to ask for your support in the Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer on May 10 in New York City. I like to participate in this walk each year because 100f the proceeds support pediatric cancer research by my doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

This year’s walk is especially meaningful to my family. We will be walking not only in celebration of my 5 years of survivorship, but also in memory of my incredibly brave friend, Harrison Nichols, who became an Angel on February 17, 2008.

I first met Harrison when we went to Sloan-Kettering in 2003. Like me, Harrison was a 5 year survivor of neuroblastoma—the difference is Harrison fought neuroblastoma continuously from the time he was diagnosed in May 2002, until he passed away almost 6 years later. Harrison was filled with unbreakable courage and a strong spirit. He taught everyone he met to live with love and joy instead of fear.

Harrison pioneered many new neuroblastoma treatments in phase I clinical trials. As a result of some of those findings, the doctors at Sloan-Kettering have made great advances with 3F8 antibodies and are now able offer this treatment to twice as many children. Harrison’s participation in these trials is just a small part of his legacy and only one of the reasons he’ll always be remembered as a hero by people lucky enough to know him.

The funds raised by the Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer will go to research for stage IV neuroblastoma, the disease I fought and the one that claimed Harrison’s life. I’m lucky to be in the 30f kids nationwide surviving stage IV nb, but my story is not typical. Many more kids fight for years, as Harrison did, until their bodies are as worn out from the treatments as from the disease. The doctors at Sloan-Kettering continue working to develop less toxic treatments to give more kids a chance at long term survival.

Please help my wonderful doctors save more kids by sponsoring my walk in honor of Harrison. You can send me a check in any amount, payable to Hope Street Kids, the tax-exempt charity that handles administrative matters for the Walk each year. Or you can make a secure donation online at the Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer website—just be sure to select NY Kids Walk for Kids from the drop down menu where it asks How would you like to use this gift? Please designate that your contribution in memory of HARRISON NICHOLS and then enter CAROLYN COVENEY in the space that asks for the walker's name.

Thanks so much for your support!

XOXOXO
Carolyn

Read Journal History

Hospital Information:

Patient Room: HOME!

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Ave.
New York, NY 10021
212-639-5948 (PDH)

Links:

E-mail Author: jsclick@gmail.com

---

 

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

---

 

This page has been viewed 97875 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.