On February 1, 2007 Christopher, at the young age of 4, was diagnosed with Stage IV High Risk Neuroblastoma. At diagnosis the tumor was found to have originated in the right adrenal gland and metastasized to the bone marrow, specifically to the right and left tibia's and possibly the pelvis.On February 8th he started cycle 1 of A3973 protocol chemo. On February 10th he had a reaction under his left arm, he woke up screaming in pain and under his arm was red. At this point he had a contrast study to check for a break in his line. The line was OK and chemo was resumed the next day. Cycle 1 was completed on February 12th and he was discharged. He was readmitted on February 17th for a fever. He was started on antibiotics and given a blood transfusion. A blood culture confirmed a strep infection in his line. Later that night he received his first platelet transfusion and had an allergic reaction. He started itching with the hives, coughing and vomiting with streaks of blood.He then received Benadryl, Tylenol and a steroid to complete the transfusion. Thankfully the rest of the platelets were completed without any other problems. On February 20th he still wasn't eating or drinking and he was complaining of a lot of stomach pain. An abdomen CT showed an Ileus and distended bowel. The results of the CT also showed THE TUMOR IS SHRINKING!!!!!!!!! On February 22nd he finally started eating and drinking again. February 23rd he was feeling better and was discharged. February 26th we went for an overnight stay to Boston to learn more about Pheresis and bone marrow transplant. Over the next few days he started to feel better. He was finally acting more like himself. On March 2nd he was admitted for 4 days to complete cycle 2 of chemo. Cycle 2 was tolerated much better than the first cycle. He was readmitted 6 days later for a fever. He was put on antibiotics and was discharged to Boston where he did the Pheresis on March 15th. Christopher went on to have a total of 6 round of chemo, he had the tumor removed after the 5th round. Each round of chemo made him so very ill. He was readmitted for fever after every round and it took him longer to bounce back after each round. In early July we went to Boston for his final MIBG scan before transplant and found out that Christopher was NED. I can't begin to tell you how happy we were. In our minds we just had to get through the transplant and he would be OK. On July 12th Christopher was admitted to Boston Children's to prepare for the transplant. On Friday July 13th he started chemo and our nightmare just got worse. Christopher's kidneys shut down from the chemo. He had t o have a dialysis port in to begin dialysis and he never fully recovered from the surgery. After over 3 weeks of what I felt like was torture for my baby boy, Christopher's body could not take any more. Christopher died due to complications of a bone marrow transplant and became an angel on 8/8/07.

My name is Jordyn Kate Olsen I born on July 14th, 2006 to Justin and Jodie Olsen. I joined my big sister Brenna. I have always been happy and healthy and with a contagious smile. Around 6 months of age, my parents started to notice a weird looking bump growing on top of my head. The local doctors told us it was either a birthmark bump or a subdural hematoma. They told us that if it had not gone away after I turned 1 year of age they would look further into it. We decided that it could not wait and so we contacted a pediatrician at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls. I was first seen on Tuesday June 5th and after some tests it was decided that I needed acute care and my doctor advised that we admit me and get some further tests done. I was admitted to Sanford Children's Hospital on June 7th for an acute infection of the kidneys, bladder, urinary tract and ureters otherwise called Pylornephritis. On Friday June 15th, I underwent surgery to remove part of a massive tumor in my skull. The tumor was biopsied and sent back here to the hospital and it was confirmed, after more testing,
that I am suffering from Neuroblastoma, childhood cancer. After some more tests, it was found that there was another mass in my pelvic region. I had another surgery on Friday, June 22nd to remove a piece of that tumor and place a central line in for my chemotherapy. We found out at the end of July that my cancer was not responding to the chemo and the tumors had not gotten smaller. My diagnosis was changed to Progressive Stage IV Neuroblastoma and I started a stronger regiment of chemo. In October, I traveled to the U of M Fairview Children's Hospital to have a bone marrow harvest. They were able to retrieve plenty of marrow for my transplant in January. On December 3rd, I underwent a 9 1/2 hour long surgery to remove the bulk of the tumor in my pelvis. I am scheduled for one more round of chemo in Sioux Falls, and then, in January, I go to the Fairview Children's Hospital at the U of M in Minneapolis. I will have one more extensive round of chemo and then I will have my bone marrow transplant. I am not sure if or what the rest of the therapy will be after I return, but whatever it is, I can handle it! The transplant went well and I am doing good! We have recently found out that the treatments of chemo and radiation had little effect on my pelvic tumor. I will be undergoing a surgery on June 5th that will be around 20 hours long and require a long recovery. My surgery was unsuccessful and we have been told that my cancer is now TERMINAL. I am now starting a study drug in Vermont on July 15th to help stabilize and keep the tumor dormant.Thus far I have had 12 rounds of intensive chemo, 14 rounds of radiation, stem cell recovery, 10+ surgeries, countless blood/platelet transfusions and over 200 nights in the hospital. I am full of life, love and courage. I am a gift! She is our hope! I am a precious little girl with a giant heart who fights harder with every prayer and thought sent my way. We are privileged to have been given this child!

Tyler, turned 3 years old on April 26, 2007. Tyler's story began just 4 weeks later. The beginning of June Tyler started vomiting in the morning, shortly after waking up. I, Lina his Mom, took him to his pediatrician and was treated for a Urinary Tract Infection. He was given antibiotics and other medications. Over the next 2 weeks his vomiting progressed and was more frequent. He was seen by his pediatrician 4 times during this 2 week period. On the weekend of June 8, Tyler's condition changed drastically. He was closing his left eye to focus, and became very unstable and was losing his balance. We took him back to his pediatrician on June 11, and it was decided that he could be having an allergic reaction to his medications. While we were leaving the pediatricians office, Tyler started vomiting. We were advised to take him to the emergency room, just as a precaution. We took Tyler to Baylor Medical Center in Waxahachie, Texas. After observing Tyler, the ER doctor said, Tyler was not having a reaction to any medication, and something else more serious was going on. So a CT scan was performed. 20 minutes later the doctor came in and said Tyler would not be going home. Why we asked, he said, Tyler had a Brain Tumor, and he would be transported immediately to Children's Medical Center of Dallas by ambulance. As we waited for the ambulance, shock and tears set in. I remember holding Tyler on the stretcher looking out the back of the ambulance window, THINKING, is this really happening right now, to my son, my family. Once we arrived to Children's, Tyler was admitted. The following day many test were performed (MRI, CT, etc). On Wednesday June 13, 2007, Tyler went into surgery to have his Brain Tumor removed. After many other tests and a biopsy of his tumor, he was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, which is a Cancer that has spread over his entire Brain and Spine. After much decision and research, we decided that St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital was the best place for his Radiation, and Chemo treatments.�So we packed our Suburban with anything that would fit. We drove from Dallas, TX to Memphis, TN on July 4, 2007, with my wife Lina, our 4 year old son Timothy II, and Tyler. My Dad (David Churchill) who drove over 2,200 miles from Washington State to Dallas, followed us in his car, to make the 7 hour trip. Our 8 year old daughter, Denise stayed in Dallas with her aunt, school started for her in August.On January 20, 2008 OUR PRECIOUS God Sent Child joined our Savior in Heaven. In his short journey he touched our lives and the lives of others. We would like to thank our entire family, friends, and perfect strangers that have giving us Love, and Support through this difficult time. Your support and prayers have given us strength. We are very blessed to have such wonderful and caring people supporting our family.

his left adrenal gland and also Neuroblastoma in his bone and bone marrow. January 25, 2004 Tyler had his first round of chemotherapy. Tyler had stem cells harvested after his 3rd round of chemo and had a stem cell transplant on August 11, 2004. Tyler started radiation October 15, 2004 and then started Cis-Retinoic acid therapy shortly after, which he took for 6 months. Tyler was in remission until November 2005 when one of his regular scans showed the Neuroblastoma was back.
He went to surgery December 5, 2005 to have a Hickman placed and a CT guided biopsy. During the Hickman placement his Subclavian artery was nicked, he lost about half of his blood and went into cardiac arrest for 4 minutes. He was revived and was put into the PICU where he was sedated for 4 days. His doctors could not get a positive bone marrow biopsy until January 2006 at which time he was able to start chemo. January 31, 2006 through September 18, 2006 Tyler received more chemo.Oct. 2006 we started going to New York City to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to do scans to see if Tyler could qualify for the 3F8 antibody treatment. He was accepted at the end of October 2006. November 3, 2006 Tyler had one round of medium dose chemo in hopes that he would not HAMA right away when the 3F8 was started. Tyler had to have one more set of scans in NYC since he had received more chemo since last scans. Scans showed two tiny spots below his right knee. These two spots were hardly lighting up on the scans. The end of November 2006 through February 2007 Tyler received the 3F8 antibody treatment in NYC and then in February 2007 Tyler went HAMA. Scans were redone again after Tyler's HAMA and they showed he had got significantly worse since the last scan.February 26, 2007 Tyler had 1 round of chemo, increase in pain. April 16, 2007 and May 14, 2007 Tyler had 2 rounds of chemo, increase in pain. June 5, 2007 Tyler started more chemo and rotated every 21 days, increase in pain. The beginning of August 2007 through beginning of September 2007 Tyler did more chemo, increase in pain. September 19, 2007 Tyler starts ABT-751, this chemo has lots of bad side effects for him and his doctor doesn't think it is helping him. October 19, 2007 we decide to do radiation to make Tyler comfortable and start end of life care. October 29, 2007 we found out that Tyler can get Nifurtimox on a compassionate care basis. He was able to go to Vermont to get this drug the end of November 2007. We prayed that the Nifurtimox would let him have quality of life long enough to see a cure! Throughout all of Tyler's treatment he has been in and out of the hospital several times, probably more than I can count with high fevers, being neutropenic, and having line infections. Tyler had a Hickman until June 2006 when we talked to his doctor about having a Port a Cath. placed so he could enjoy the summer swimming. December 5, 2007 Tyler received more chemo. January 13, 2008 Tyler had a head ct scan which showed he had a tumor in his head behind his left eye. January 17, 2008 Tyler started more chemo. January 21, 2008 Tyler had his first dose out of ten of radiation to his head. February 2008 we found out that Tyler had more tumors growing in his head, kidneys, liver, lungs, and bone marrow have tumor or disease in them.April 9, 2008 Tyler passed away peacefully in my arms at home after fighting so hard for 1,542 days. He was 9 years, 7 months, and 17 days old. When he passed he had a smile on his face.

Austin Brian was born on December 8, 1992.On Thursday July 26, 2007 Austin called me from his work and said it hurt to breathe. Two weeks prior he had a sinus infection which came with a cough and he was on antibiotics for that. When he came home I took him to the ER. The doctor took blood work and chest x-rays. The blood work came back that he had leukemia cells in his blood. The next morning we were sent to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis where the worst was confirmed. He was diagnosed with AML Leukemia on July 27, 2007. This was caught in the early stages, so he is not run down which we hope will make the treatments easier. Austin had 5 rounds of chemotherapy. He was in remission until June 12, 2008 when it was determined that he would need to have a bone marrow transplant. He was admitted to the U of M Fairview Hospital on August 26, 2008. His cord cell transplant took place on September 5, 2008. He was 100 percent donor, meaning the transplant worked. Austin was fighting numerous lung issues because of his immune system being suppressed as part of the transplant process. Austin went to be our guardian
angel on November 10, 2008. The lung issues claimed his life, not the Leukemia.
Austin was a busy young man working for area farmers. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and he liked off-roading, 4-wheeling, and snowmobiling. He was involved with truck and Minn-e-Rod Pulling. Austin had a strong work and play ethic and had the ability to bond with EVERYONE. He loved his family and friends. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him. Rest in peace buddy! We love you and are going to miss you dearly. You took a piece of all of us with you on that Monday morning.

My name is Tyler Jon Peters, I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer
called:Myxopapillary Ependymoma of the spine, on March 26, 1993. I was 9 years oldand in the third grade. At the time of diagnosis, my cancer was so rare, doctors at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis did not know how to treat me as there was no documented protocols available to follow. Only one other child in the world was found to have the same tumor type in the same location, a girl, age 12, in Italy.
My cancer was located in the spinal column of my central nervous system at the L2 position with a tumor two inches long, pressing against all of my nerve endings causing extreme pain. I endured a risky surgery which included sawing my vertebrae in half to expose the cancer and using a laser to shrink the large tumor in order to extract it. At the time, doctors said I had less than a 10% chance of recurrence. They could not give me chemotherapy treatments as blood does not flow into the central nervous system and decided to follow me closely using MRI technology. After only 17 months, I relapsed. This time, I was diagnosed with two tumors in the L5 and S1 positions. Again I underwent the same risky surgery involving my vertebrae. Doctors also ordered 35 radiation treatments and follow up MRI scans. Since my relapse I remain cancer free. I am now 24 years old, happily married to my beautiful wife Jeni. I have had recent back issues related to the after affects of my treatments. Some of my vertebrae have degeneration due to the radiation I endured. I will require physical therapy for an unknown period of time to help manage pain and I may need surgery to repair
vertebrae that continue to weaken.

My name is Jocelyn Irene Dickhoff I'm a fun, energetic 2 year old who loves M & M's and Shrek. Looking at me you would never guess I have cancer, but on July 20, 2007, I was diagnosed with Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor or PNET.I started chemotherapy a week later after having an MRI, CT, bone scan, and a bone marrow biopsy to determine where exactly my cancer was. Thankfully it was contained to only two tumors in my pelvis and not attached to any organs in my pelvis. My diagnosis was changed two weeks later to Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma which is a muscle cancer. Rhabdomyosarcoma accounts for about 3% of all cancers. Each year about 350 people are diagnosed with this cancer. As my luck would have it I was diagnosed at stage four, high risk, which is the worst of its kind. Thankfully though the tumor my parents could see and feel responded beautifully to Chemotherapy.
After my first round of chemotherapy my parents could feel the tumor getting smaller, and after that were gone. After each consecutive round of chemo, they could feel my tumor shrinking so they knew my treatment was working!!! The tumor they could see and feel was near my rectum and had been there since the day they brought me home from the NICU!! My doctor saw and felt this mass every time they brought me in for a well-child check-up, but didn't refer me until the mass had gotten so big that it gave me hemorrhoids! That was at my one-year check-up!!!My chemotherapy treatments have been done at the University of Minnesota and ACMC in Willmar. After my first 6 rounds of chemotherapy, I was sent to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City where I had surgery to remove my remaining tumors and radiation therapy. While I was there for 8 weeks, my parents and I stayed at the Ronald McDonald House and met many wonderful people all faced with cancer! Too many!!

On June 22, 2005 Blair was diagnosed with AML Leukemia at age 14. Blair spent over 320 days in the hospital out of her 550 day journey. This journey started with chemotherapy, then a stem-cell transplant. Blair battled several infections and influenza with time spent in PICU from Dec 24th, 2005 to Jan. 20th, 2006. She remained in the hospital until May 2006. After surviving the PICU (which we were told most patients had able to do things. She had a feeding tube in 5 different times and we were told it would never come out. She was so excited to start her sophomore year and was determined to try and be as normal as possible. Unfortunately, it seemed like she got hit with one thing after another only to continue to persevere. Blair suffered so horribly through her journey she missed her entire 9th grade. and therefore was tutored Paula Len, a wonderful teacher who came to the hospitals and home to ensure Blair would pass 9th grade. A funny story about this is when Paula would tutor Blair and Blair got sick, she would pick up her bucket... throw up... wipe her face and ask Paula to continue she was a very determined young lady. When she was told she could start 10th grade at Hopkins High School she was thrilled finally she could be a normal kid and go back to school. At this point she seemed to be doing much better but still had to take 32 pills a day and had struggles with eating along with diarrhea Tom and I would receive calls from the school saying we needed to pick her up as she was sick or had an accident and had run out of her clothes we kept there on hand.On February 5, 2007 we were told that she had a respiratory virus and it was discovered that the Leukemia was back, this time ALLShe was admitted to the hospital where they began treatment and cured the Leukemia. Unfortunately, the respiratory virus continued to progress and she was once more in PICU where she remained on a ventilator to assist her breathing until March 25, 2007 when she earned her Pink and Orange Wings at age 16.

My name is Tanner. I am a fun loving and out-going kid who loves playing outside with my John Deere Gator and helping my dad in the garage and mom water the garden. When I was 3 years old, on Oct. 30th, 2007, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. My mom took me to the doctor because I was vomiting and had a high fever on several occasions over a month and a half, in and out of the hospital. Then one day, I threw up in the morning, played all day, and complained of a severe headache. Mommy took me back to the clinic for a checkup and this time they ordered a CT scan of my head which showed a mass.�My mom and dad were very shocked and scared. The golf ball size tumor was located in the 4th ventricle of my brain, the most common place for tumors to grow in children.As most kids in the nation were trick or treating in their neighbor for Halloween, I was dressed up in a hospital gown. First I went through two surgeries to remove the tumor and one to insert a porta cath to receive my chemo treatments. More difficult was the Vin Christine shots. These have been so hard on my body that I twice had to learn how to walk again and wore AMOS and SMOS leg braces along with physical therapy. I also go to Occupational every week and have had 30 rounds of radiation . My last surgery GJ-Feeding Tube was placed and I am being fed formula. This resulted in a blood infection. I am currently receiving chemotherapy sessions and still receiving Vin Christine shots.

Hello my name is Mitch and I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor called
Medulloblastoma. My tumor was spread to my spine on April 28, 2004. I have underwent surgery to remove the tumor on April 30.Approximately a week after surgery I was diagnosed with Posterior Fossa Syndrome and Cerebellar Mutism, basically for a period of time I could not move, speak or swallow. I also have full facial paralysis, due to damage to my 7th nerve.I completed 6 weeks of Radiation therapy and Chemotherapy in January of 2005. I had facial surgery in May and August of 2006 to address my facial paralysis with the hopes to someday be able to close my mouth (and kiss a girl). I had eye surgery in March of 2007 to try to correct the many issues I encounter daily with my eyes. Throughout my recovery I received endless physical and occupational therapy to regain movement and strength. I have not once complained or said "why me".March 16, 2007 we received the worst possible news.... I was diagnosed with recurrent Medulloblastoma - leptomenigeal metastic disease spread. I desperately need your prayers.Monday, June 9, 2008 as we were headed up to Minneapolis for my stem cell transplant, we received a devastating call from the nurse. I cannot go through with the transplant.....my cancer has returned.... I continue my fight.October 29th, 2008 my tumors have grown and multiplied. We're off to Sloan Kettering in New York to try a new clinical study..

Hellow, my name is Terrell. When I was 22 months old I was diagnosed with Medullablastoma great living in remission. Then after 28 months of being in remission, I was told in December of 2004 that I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, T-Cell. My ALL ~ Leukemia ~ was caused from having chemotherapy from having Medullablastoma previously.When I was 5 1/2 years old I went through a Bone Marrow Transplant, BMT, on March 29,2005. Then, ON JUNE 18,2007 I GOT THE ALL CLEAR & WORDS "CURED" AFTER 6 YEARS of WAITING!! THANK YOU GOD!! I am now 3 YEARS POST TRANSPLANT AND STILL CANCER FREE AS OF MARCH OF 2008 !!!So please continue the prayers for me and my family so that I will NEVER be faced with another cancer diagnoses again.

A REAL LIFE HERO, Chris was diagnosed at age 15 with T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma....those that love him. Christopher was born a preemie and weighed 4lbs, not bad for almost 2 months early, so even back then the lad had a rough time, 1 month spent in NICU before I could bring my little precious home.
At the age of 15 I thought he was behaving rather oddly, sleepy, antisocial and well, kind of out of it. My mother's instinct kicked in big time and I took him to the doctor, and had a
chat on the sly with him to ask Chris if he was depressed or into a lot of dope... first
things a mom would think with a teen! During examination, he said he heard a heart murmur, and sent us for an echocardiogram two days later...that began the journey into hell... We were sent straight up to the ER for a CT scan which showed a very large tumor growing on his thymus gland... shock! We were then sent straight to The Hospital For Sick Children and went through 2 1/2 years of chemotherapy. Christopher relapsed 3 months later and it was decided a Bone Marrow Transplant was his only option. Transplant was done on October 23, 2003. Christopher again relapsed with an abdominal tumor in May of 2004. OPTIONS ~ More Chemo. Since that tumor, there have been 2 tumors; one on either side of his heart, another again in his abdomen area. Our options were: more chemo, do nothing and let it kill you or fight on.... Chris chooses to fight on.... Just 7 few months later another abdominal tumor! Weeks just after Christmas... spent in hospital... very grave... yet another tumor was now touching the sack of his heart. Radiation, bone marrow had been failing for the past couple of months...We tried radiation, Christopher got two doses on Thursday and Friday. Christopher died Monday, February 28, 2005 overwhelming pneumonia, or sepsis, or ARDS.Chris taught us what strength and courage and dignity is all about, not once did he ever complain throughout his entire 5 year battle with the beast of cancer.....He showed us all that we have nothing to complain about, nothing to whine about, and what it takes to just live day to day.... WE MUST NEVER FORGET OUR BRAVE CHRISTOPHER...an unwitting HERO! As Gist would say "It's all good" Thank you to Linda, Christopher's unrelated Bone Marrow Donor! We need more people like you in the world... Please consider becoming a bone marrow donor and blood donor, it's the best gift you will ever give....