Olivia's Story
Olivia was born a healthy baby on January 16, 2007. Our family is from Medford, New Jersey and in February of 2007 we moved our family to Tampa, Florida. At the young age of 9 months Olivia was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. Olivia had a large mass on her left adrenal gland and the disease had also spread to her brain. Her courageous fight here on earth earned her the nickname, "Livi the Lion."
Olivia's treatment took her from her home in Tampa, Florida to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. For weeks she was away from her brother and sister and sometimes her father in the hopes of receiving that perfect phrase,
"No Evidence of Disease".
Like many who are diagnosed with this devastating cancer a cure was not to be for Olivia. The progression is so fast that treatment options cannot keep up with it. On June 20, 2008 God put his arms around my baby and whispered "Come to Me." Olivia's fight on Earth ended but her Spirit lives on to help other children with Neuroblastoma.
What is Neuroblastoma? Learn about the devastating cancer and how it effects hundreds of children each year. Treatment: Learn about the challenging treatment plans these children have to endure. High dose chemotherapy treatments that have severe long term effects, sometimes opening them up to other cancers. Numerous painful and risky surgeries. Stem-cell transplants, procedures, hospital stays, not to mention weeks away from family and loves ones.
Read what the doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center like Dr. Cheung and others on the Neuroblastoma Research Team are working on. See how they are working on overcoming the challenge of achieving long term remission in relapse. Your tax-deductable donations are so important.
What is 3F8? Why are we running for a mouse anti-body? How could this possibly help children like Olivia battle this disease and live without the possibility of relapse?
The science is amazing, yet costly and unfortunately not always accurate.
Unless we humanize the anti-body and research vaccines. Did you know that humanizing 3F8 will also help brain cancer, certain types of breast cancer and liver cancer?
Here on Earth you were Livi the Lion
Your family's most precious gift, an inspiration and hero to all.
Now in Heaven, Sweet Olivia, you are God's
Most beautiful and bravest Angel.
And still here on Earth, you are a constant reminder to all
what to truly cherish in life.
Goodbye for now, sweet Olivia Rose.
-by Lauren Suleta
Hope * Courage * Faith
