 | ||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
On July 2, 2002, at the age of 8, doctors diagnosed me with Ewing’s Sarcoma. The cancer was in the gum on the left side of my face. My world was rocked, but I prayed that God would heal me - and so did a lot of other people. After going through 3 months of a year long chemotherapy program, my prayers were answered. Doctors couldn’t explain it other than the chemotherapy had worked very well! I continued the rest of the treatment and was officially declared in remission. In September 2004, the cancer came back. Again, I asked God to heal me. I began a course of chemotherapy and after a few weeks I underwent 30 treatments of radiation to my face. At the end of the radiation tests were performed to see how well the chemotherapy and radiation were working. I got the worst news of my life. The cancer had spread to my lungs. The doctors had several tests performed by two different labs to confirm their latest diagnosis. Despite all their best efforts the doctors said that I would die from the cancer and they gave me 6 months to live. Those that had been praying for me didn’t give up and neither did God. Right after I was given that terminal diagnosis I met the father of American Idol finalist, Vonzell Solomon, or Baby V as she is called by her fans. At the end of our first meeting he told me that he was going to arrange for me to fly out to Hollywood and meet Vonzell. Two weeks later the community came together and raised enough money to send me and my entire family to Hollywood. We spent some time with Vonzell, got to attend two American Idol shows, and had dinner with the top ten contestants. Several weeks later I went to have some tests done. The tests would enable the doctors to see what the tumors were doing so they could determine how best to comfort me. When I was given my terminal diagnosis, we had stopped all treatment, even the monthly antibiotics that I had been taking. If I only had a few months to live I didn’t want to be sick from the chemotherapy as well. Again, God had answered my prayers. The tests showed that the tumors had completely disappeared. My cancer was gone. God is good ALL the time. We have started this non profit fund as my way of giving back, like the community so generously gave to me. I love to sing and have always wanted to record my own CD, so with the help of a lot of people I recorded seven songs that I picked to tell my story. All of the profits from the sale of this CD will be given to the American Cancer Society through their Relay For Life program; the Children’s Hospital of SW Florida’s Hemotology/Oncology program; and a support group for families who have children battling cancer called Candlelighters of SW FL. The story doesn’t end there. In January 2006, I was again diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma. I have already had two surgeries to try and remove the cancer and I am not taking any chemotherapy or radiation treatments. I am praying that God will heal me once again. Please join me in thanking God for removing this cancer once and for all! (More information is available via the media coverage on my battle) |
