Meet Brady

Brady is an energetic four-year-old who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma in August 2012. We got to spend a super fun morning at Fenway Park, and Brady even got to run the bases! Aside from the Red Sox, Brady also loves trains (CSX ones, to be specific. Go big, or go home, right?), John Deere, Mickey Mouse, and the New England Patriots.

In the last year, Brady has undergone six cycles of chemo, several MIBG scans, CT scans, bone marrow biopsies and received multiple blood & platelet transfusions. There have also been several inpatient stays due to fever and neutropenia. The tumor and his left adrenal gland were been removed on 11/29/2012. Several tests and scans were complete in January in preparation for Stem Cell Transplant. However, the MIBG scan at that time showed 4 spots remained on his bone (1 on each thigh, 1 on the right lower leg & another on the left upper arm). We were advised that it is best to go into stem cell transplant with the least amount of Neuroblastoma. His doctors decided the next best step was MIBG therapy (basically radiation that is injected into his central line and only targets the Neuroblastoma). MIBG therapy was complete in January 2013. In March 2013, he underwent aStem Cell Transplant which involved high dose chemo and an impatient stay of approximately 4 weeks; he received his transplant on 3/19/2013. He completed 12 sessions of radiation therapy (last session was on 5/14/2013). His most recent bone marrow biopsy in June came back negative for Neuroblastoma! MIBG scans post MIBG therapy and in May showed only 3 of the 4 spots remained on his bone. On 6/17/2013 he began ch14.18 Antibody Therapy. He completed 100 days of isolation post stem cell transplant on 6/27/2013. The most recent MIBG scan was clear! He is finishing up antibody therapy and will have end of protocol scans during the first week of December.

Brady's fighter page : Brady's Mission

Hope Session by : Colors of Her Heart - Fine Art and Portrait Photography

Meet Samuel

Samuel was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at just six years old. He has had intensive chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, stem cell transplant and differentiation agent isotretinoin. He finished his treatment two months ago but we have to start all over again. He is a very strong and brave boy.

Hope Session by : Bara A. Photography

Meet Arianna Rose

Arianna was diagnosed at age 3 ( June 2009) with stage IV Neuroblastoma she had 18 months of intense treatment at St. Louis Children's Hospital and was NED ( no eminent disease) by Jan 2011 then the day before Thanksgiving Nov 2011 we found out she had relapsed. She start treatment on a phase II trial at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis and has now had 17 rounds of Chemo and some decrease in disease. We are still fighting hard to find a way to get her into remission if at all possible.

Arianna's support page www.caringbridge.org/visit/ariannarosedougan

Hope Session by Stacey Vukelj - NYC Photography
 

Meet Misa

Misa (as we call her) was Dx at 3 1/2 with Neuroblastoma. We were treated
at Upstate hospital (Syracuse, NY). Misa was treated aggressively as she had
the "bad kind" (as if any cancer is good) of Neuroblastoma. She was given a
25% chance of surviving and well 12 years later we thanks God everyday for
her! She loves life. She has made 2 mission trips in the past 2 years (partly
to share her story). I could go on and on. Best to sum it up with she is the
best :<)

Hope Session by Lisa Rossi Photography
https://www.facebook.com/LisaRossiPhotography

Meet Brooke

Brooke was diagnosed 1/5/09 with stage IV high risk Neuroblastoma at 4 years old. Her cancer started in her adrenal gland and spread through every bone in her body and 80-90% of her bone marrow. She fought for 16 months and reached NED (No Evidence of Disease) after 9 months. She relapsed 12/5/12 with a tumor on her spine. A relapse with her cancer is considered terminal but she is a fighter and the tumor has been stable since Dec. We live in Salisbury, MD and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has been our home hospital the past 4 1/2 years but I enrolled her in a phase one vaccine clinical trial (using her own cells) at Dana-Farber Boston Children's and we will hopefully be in Boston for 6 months. I pray that this will be her miracle drug. Brooke is the happiest kid in the world no matter what is thrown at her and she even loves going to the hospital. Every thing and every day is an adventure for her and she lives life with so much joy in her heart. She is truly a blessing.

Brooke's support page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brookemulford
Hope Session by Bridget P. Photography

Meet Madison

When Madison, "Maddy", was three-years-old, her parents picked her up from her learning center and were told that she was very tired because she played all day. They took her home, and went through their normal routine. She was very lethargic and didn't want to eat. When it came time to give her a bath, Madison’s father, noticed that her stomach was larger than normal, causing her belly button to go from an “inny” to an “outy.” Her parents decided to let her sleep and go to the doctor the next day. The doctor prescribed some medication that morning, and told them to come back in the afternoon. By the time they took her back, Madison was crying out in pain about her leg and tummy hurting and running a fever of 104.

Madison’s doctor sent the family to Inova Fairfax Hospital with the assumption that her appendix was preparing to rupture. However, after a series of tests and scans, and ultimately surgery and biopsies, the unimaginable was confirmed; Madison was diagnosed with Stage IV High-Risk Neuroblastoma. The main tumor in Madison’s abdomen was the size of a melon, and was wrapped around her major organs and pressing on her right kidney which caused pain in her right leg. The cancer had also spread into her shoulders, legs, lower spine, bones and bone marrow.

Treatment began right away. Since her diagnosis on June 5, 2012, Madison has had countless surgeries, nine cycles of chemotherapy, a stem cell and bone marrow transplant, oncology radiation therapy, MIBG radiation therapy, and she just started antibody therapy which will run for six months, through February 2014.

Madison's facebook page is Maddy Wagon.
Hope Session by lily B photography

Meet Lauren

Lauren was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma just one month before her 15th birthday. It was a weekend morning and I went in her bedroom to wake her. I started tickling her and palpated an extremely large mass in her abdomen. It felt like a football. As a nurse, I knew something was wrong, and took her to the emergency room. After having emergency surgery, a 15.5 pound mass was removed from her pelvis, along with an ovary and numerous lymph nodes. It took what seemed like years to finally get a diagnosis. Her case is quite rare in that Neuroblastoma typically occurs in children under the age of six. Prior to her diagnosis, Lauren was a remarkable young lady, and she continues to shine through her journey after diagnosis. She excelled in school and was in the top three of her class. With school being so important to her, she has continued by taking her classes on-line through a virtual school. She was a competitive dancer, however has been unable to dance since her treatment began. She is a loving daughter, sister and friend. Lauren has completed six rounds of chemotherapy. She had high dose chemotherapy prior to her stem cell transplant. She then had 12 rounds of radiation. Currently she is enrolled in a study where she receives antibody therapy. This portion of her treatment has been the most difficult for her.
Lauren's caringbridge: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurenbendesky97
Hope Session by Lilyta Photography  

Meet Sabrina

The youngest of 4, Sabrina is a beloved baby sister and vivacious 2 year old that just bubbles over with personality. Diagnosed in May 2012 with neuroblastoma at the age of 16 months, Sabrina has undergone two rounds of chemo, one surgery at Inova Fairfax, another major surgery and month long hospital stay at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and countless other scans, tests and procedures. Sabrina is returning to Sloan-Kettering this week to determine her disease status and the next steps in her treatment. Our fingers are crossed that Sabrina and her family get good news!
Sabrina page: Team Sabrina
Hope session by Photo Love | Images by Terri
‪#‎thegoldhopeproject‬ ‪#‎TGHP‬ ‪#‎shootforhope‬ ‪#‎childhoodcancer‬

Meet Audrey

Audrey led a very active and happy life as a 5 years old in 2010. She went trick or treating through the whole neighbor without skipping any house on Halloween in 2010. She complained her leg and stomach pain but we dismissed it as Halloween activities. What we found out ten days later changed our lives forever. Audrey was diagnosed with Stage IV High Risk Neuroblastoma. The medical treatment she received in the next 18 months is something no child should have to endure. She immediately had a central venous line placed on her chest that threaded inside the vein to her heart in order to receive the countless blood transfusions, IV fluids, and treatments to be followed. After 6 rounds of intensive induction chemotherapy and countless trip to the emergency room, she had a 5 1Ž2 hours of surgery to remove her primary tumor. Her tandem transplants were perhaps the hardest part of her treatment. There were a time her temperature was around108-109 and heart beat was around 220. By the miracle of God she did turn around and recovered. The next 8 months she finished the protocol with radiation and Antibodies treatment and is declared NED(no evidence of disease). Unfortunately, we found out Audrey relapsed during her routine scan on May 29th, 2013. There is very few treatment options for relapse Neuroblastoma patients. She is currently enrolled in a phase 1 trial at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. When Audrey was born, Ben and I held her in our arms and we both felt a sense of joy. We decided that her middle name should be Joy. Audrey is a true Joy to us and anyone who knows her. Audrey lost a significant part of her hearing due to the intensive chemotherapy and requires continuing physical therapy. Her love of life and her determination to win the fight against cancer is a true inspiration to us all. Today she continues her fight against this horrible disease. We need to find a cure and a less harsh medical treatment for this terrible disease.
Audrey's carepage: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/jenniferDeshetler/updates/3489297
Hope session by Lisa Phillipson Photography - Newborn, Child and Family Photography