2024  HONOREE

   February 22nd, 2023 started out like any other day for Brooklyn. She woke up, ate breakfast, and began playing while waiting for her mom-mom to come babysit. By mid afternoon, we became concerned about the distention in Brooklyn's abdomen. The distention had been there for about a week, but it was slight and not concerning. After feeling Brooklyn's abdomen we knew something was off. At this point, Brooklyn was taken to her pediatrician and this visit marked the beginning of our journey with cancer. 

   Those first 24 hours in-patient at CHOP were every parent's worst nightmare. We had to watch our 2.5 year old go under anesthesia for multiple scans, a bone marrow biopsy, a port placement, a suprapubic catheter placement, a biopsy of the nerf football sized tumor growing in her abdomen, and a grueling first round of chemo. After all of these procedures Brooklyn was diagnosed with Group 3 Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma on February 27th, 2023. This diagnosis came with a treatment plan of 40 chemo doses given in 3 week cycles, a tumor resection (she was wheeled into surgery to Taylor Swift's Reputation album), and 30 doses of proton radiation therapy. We are forever grateful to Dr. Long and the entire solid tumor team at CHOP because thanks to him, Brooklyn's entire tumor was resected with negative margins on July 24th, 2023. This success allowed her proton therapy to be reduced to 20 sessions. Brooklyn rang the bell to signify the end of her radiation therapy on October 4th, 2023, 3 days after her 3rd birthday. 

    After the completion of radiation, and the recovery from the devastating radiation side effects, Brooklyn went on to complete her chemo treatment protocol without any delays, and on December 19th, 2023 she finished all of her treatment. After receiving word that there was no evidence of disease on her post treatment scans, Brooklyn rang the bell on January 4th, 2024. 

     Despite the horrific things Brooklyn had to endure, she never lost her smile or her infectious laugh and personality. Since wrapping treatment, it has been nothing but clear scans, Disney trips, Taylor Swift dance parties, and celebrating life to the fullest for our ray of sunshine. Brooklyn is now living life as every normal kid would. She started pre-school, and her second season of soccer in September, celebrated her 4th birthday on October 1st, and she is getting ready to go to Disneyland and Oogie Boogie Bash (Halloween & Jack Skellington are her favorite) for her Make A Wish trip at the end of October! As mentioned above, we are forever grateful to CHOP, but we are also grateful to organizations like Steam Pub who help life during and after cancer treatment a little easier for families like ours.