September is Childhood Cancer awareness month. As you know we are collecting donations for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society this month. I've been posting success stories of children plagued with blood cancers that are survivors because of the research of very gifted people who strive everyday to find cures! I wanted to save my last survivor introduction for someone VERY special! I LOVE THIS LITTLE GIRL!!!
When Cora did the Runway to Recovery fashion show she was showing her regular grumpy tendancies in the dressing room. One minute she wanted one pair of shoes with outfit #1, the next minutes she wanted another. One second she LOVED the idea of sporting a feather boa, the next second "people would think she was a chicken." She was dramatic. And she was the youngest member of the fashion show so all the other women and teenagers were doting on her and trying to talk to her and she WAS NOT being sweet and charming to say the least. As we're discussing the fact that no one would mistake her for poultry as she walked the runway, this sweet teenage girl in a wheelchair in the back of the room motioned for Cora to "come here."
I walked her back and this precious precious girl who obviously had issues much bigger than feathers or no feathers said, "Wow! I really love those feathers! You look so pretty. You should wear those when you go out on the stage." Cora was sold! A teenager told her to wear the feathers, so they were a go! We started talking to Rebecca and found out that she was diagnosed with APL a very rare and acute form leukemia. I knew that APL required a harsh treatment. After discussion with Rebecca I found that she was being treated locally at Backus just as Cora is. I also found that her chemo regimen included Arsenic!!! As in the same ingredient used in rat poison! The girl's cancer was so tough that it took poison to kill it! You can imagine what that would do to the rest of your body. I assumed her harsh treatment was the reason for her wheel chair as Cora has experienced muscle weakness. The more I chatted with Rebecca, the more I loved her. This girl was SO strong! What a fighter! She shared all kinds of things about treatment with me on our initial meeting and then went on to say that she had trouble finding fashion show dresses to fit because of her port and tubes. Her attitude was AMAZING!!! Not one time did she ever seem resentful! I got home and visited Becca's caringbridge site to find the following statement, "Rebecca is 13 years old and has been through a long journey in her 13 years. She was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalis which she has had some 58 surgeries for. She was just diagnosed February 3 of 2010 with Acute Promeylocytic Leukemia (APL). So we are going to face a different journey. We ask for prayers daily." Talk about being kicked when you're down!!!! This girl has had a lifetime of surgeries, medications, and hospital talk and now she's added cancer to that! BUT cancer nor any other medical issues define Becca! She is AWESOME!!! She's a typical teenager that loves art, music, and her family. She's obviously a Christian and that shines through in everything she does!
Cora and I went a few months ago to visit her as she was hospitalized. The girl was on dexamethosone, Cora's steroid. And she WAS NOT GRUMPY AT ALL! Cora can't leave the house for days after she gets off that stuff! I asked her mom if she was always this plesant and she said, "yes!" Rebecca AMAZES ME!!! I'm so thrilled that she has recently started her maintenance phase of chemo! Rebecca DESERVES A CURE!!! Thanks Becca for being an inspiration to us all! Everytime I think I'm having a bad day, I think of you!!!
Please consider making a donation to LLS to help other children become survivors like Becca, Kennedy Grace, Madison, John Michael, and Cora! We appreciate your support!
check on becca at www.caringbridge.org/visit/rebeccacarnes1
No comments:
Post a Comment