I fully intended to get good news from Nina's scans, but amazingly our hopes were exceeded! When I emailed Nina's doctor for results, he wrote back "no evidence of neuroblastoma...WONDERFUL!". To which I replied: "Yahoo!" But then I just had to add "I will not be concerned about the spot on her hip, but I am just curious, is it still there?" and was shocked to see the words "No, not there" come back. I cannot tell you how relieved we are. I had been told that the spot could linger for years, so I had prepared myself for that. The fact that it is now gone brings such joy! All our prayers have been answered. While at Sloan the past two days, I met two mothers, both there with daughters whom had relapsed. One with medulloblastoma and the other rhabdomyosarcoma. They both said how much harder it is the second time around, knowing what they have to face again. My heart aches for them. I know how fortunate we are. I really do. Thank God!
Next Saturday, May 9th, in Central Park, is the 9th annual Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer. We will be walking in it to support pediatric cancer research at MSKCC. I figure Nina is doing well today because someone before us supported childhood cancer research, and we have benefitted from it. I would now like to do the same for future kids who will be diagnosed. In the US, 46 children each day are diagnosed with cancer. That's 46 today, and 46 tomorrow and 46 the day after that! Drug companies do not sponsor research for drugs used specifically for childhood cancer (sadly because it is not profitable for them). Information on the walk is available at www.walkforkidswithcancer.org. If you can, join us, or if you would like to contribute, please donate on-line, and sponsor Nina Grace Schneider. Thanks to all of our supporters. It means so much to us to have you all behind us. Love, from all the Schneiders, especially Nina!