Sydney’s Story

Site created on May 23, 2008



To view Sydney's memorial service, click on the link below:

http://www.vimeo.com/7807427


Sydney Deann Ives was born August 5, 1998 in Rockford, Illinois. She was a ray of sunshine from the start of her life...so beautiful, so happy...and those lips! Women would pay big money to get lips like that.

As she grew, it was evident to all, that she was one special girl. Speaking at an early age (she could recite the pledge of alliegence at 18 months), walking as soon as possible (at 8 months), and singing even before speaking...she had such a special mark on her life.

In May of 2008, after a series of separate explainable symptoms going on with her, the pieces of the puzzle finally came together that she was having some sort of neurological problem.

At her first piano lesson on May 21st, I was mortified as I watched her try to put her right hand on the keys. She could not make it function...it was just kind of dead. At that exact moment, everything snapped into place.

The next day changed our lives forever. After a visit with the doctor, we went to the hospital for a CT scan. To our horror, it confirmed that Sydney had a brain tumor, and that she needed to be admitted right away.

Immediately following the MRI, we were given more devastating news. The tumor was in-operable...it could not be removed, due to it's large size and the fact that it has little "fingers" that dig in to the tissue of the brain. That was not what we wanted to hear.

On Saturday, May 24, 2008, after a biopsy of the tumor, we again had to draw on he strength of our Savior to be able to accept the news we were given. Astrostoma anaplastic grade III. It was cancer. Inoperable cancer in my beautiful 9 year old's brain! How can this be!?!?

Sydney was accepted as a patient at St Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN, where we lived last summer.  Since that time, we have had many ups and downs...but our one constant has been God.

On May 7, 2009, almost 1 year since Sydney's diagnosis, we again heard the most difficult news we've heard to date.  Sydney's tumor has grown and has spread.  There is nothing more medically that can be done for her. If God does not intervene, she was only given 6 to 8 weeks from that date to live.

Sydney once again, defied the odds, and outlived that prognosis.  She left this world on November 7, 2009...exactly 6 months after being told she only had weeks.

She is now with Jesus forever more in heaven...and we look forward to the day we wil meet her there!

L.I.P. Sydney!!! (LIVE in Peace)

(You can view her memorial service @
http://www.vimeo.com/7807427 (http://www.vimeo.com/7807427))

God Bless ~ IVESTRONG

Newest Update

Journal entry by Tasha Ives

https://vimeo.com/312556470

Many of you know I’ve been writing a book for quite a while. Please watch this video about “So Far...My Journey Through Grief + Beyond”.

I have some irons in the fire as far as publishing goes, but would love it if you would join me in praying that God opens the right doors.

Thank you all so much for being such an important part of that journey!

Love you more 💛
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