6 month photos for this little man and he wins the award for best faces this month! Click on the photo to see more from this session.
Such a great family to work with! Click on the photo to see more from this session.
Jori is a beautiful, strong, tenacious 3 year old. She was Diagnosed with cancer on January 13, 2019, just 1 day after we brought her newborn twin brothers (Kennedy and Knixon) home from the hospital. She spent the first 20 days of diagnosis in the hospital and has been admitted multiple times since then. She is currently in Delayed Intensification and has 2 more years of treatment left. Jori has been lucky (thus far) and hasn't show really any side effects or reactions to the treatment she is receiving, she does struggle with port accesses (occasionally though, she is a trooper for these) and taking her at home medications. She is so BOLD and always keeps us, the nurses, and the Doctors on our toes. She is truly a Fighter. Jori also has 2 older sisters (Poppy and Brynnlee). Our Family has been supporting St. Judes for the past 2 years even before Jori was diagnosed. Since diagnosis we have also supported the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and will be walking in the Light the Night walk to end Blood Cancer in October.
Jori's family is thankful for the Jessie Rees Foundation (NEGU), Gamerosity, St Judes Research Hospital, Cancer Kids Fund. Pinky Swear Foundation, and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Follow Jori's story on Caringbridge via this link...Jori's Story
*Click on the photo of Jori to see more form her session.
Since 2003, Pinky Swear Foundation has supported families' quality-of-life with direct financial aid for basic needs, and through experiences that create emotional support, including:
Stable housing: Rent and mortgage payments
Reliable transportation: Car payments, insurance, and gas cards
Groceries: Healthy food on the table for kids and families
Payments for bills: Utilities and other unique family needs
Memorable experiences through family getaways: Worry-free, quality time together out of the hospital
Ability to stay with their sick child and reduce expenses: Convenient, stocked food pantries in hospitals
Click here to visit the Pinky Swear Foundation website to read more about the organization.
Lucy Ann is a 9 year old from Sartell, MN. Her cancer is Malignant Myoepihelioma (Soft Tissues High Grade Sarcoma/Carcinoma)
She has had 5 surgeries, several rounds of inpatient Chemo and 25 proton beam radiation treatments since October of 2018. Her last scan we had did not show any growth, so we are currently in the watching things stage. She will be scanned in September.
Each month Lucy Ann hand picks items for the Little Indy Warrior (Children fighting cancer) She makes up a fun gift chest with items that helped her though treatments with the hope that something she gifts will put a smile on their face when the days get tough. Lucy Ann and her #Unicornsquad believe we are all in this together and the more we can reach out and help another kiddo the better. This disease does not discriminate so we need to raise awareness and compassion for all of those fighting this great fight and show Love, Support, Prayers and Positive Vibes along the way! Watch her video Lucy Ann's YouTube Video.
If you would like to donate to Lucy Ann's Little Indy Warrior project visit INDY Foundation and put #UnicornSquad in the comments.
Follow Lucy Ann's story on CaringBridge via this link... Lucy Ann's Story
*Click on the photo of Lucy Ann to see more from her session.
She has had 5 surgeries, several rounds of inpatient Chemo and 25 proton beam radiation treatments since October of 2018. Her last scan we had did not show any growth, so we are currently in the watching things stage. She will be scanned in September.
Each month Lucy Ann hand picks items for the Little Indy Warrior (Children fighting cancer) She makes up a fun gift chest with items that helped her though treatments with the hope that something she gifts will put a smile on their face when the days get tough. Lucy Ann and her #Unicornsquad believe we are all in this together and the more we can reach out and help another kiddo the better. This disease does not discriminate so we need to raise awareness and compassion for all of those fighting this great fight and show Love, Support, Prayers and Positive Vibes along the way! Watch her video Lucy Ann's YouTube Video.
If you would like to donate to Lucy Ann's Little Indy Warrior project visit INDY Foundation and put #UnicornSquad in the comments.
Follow Lucy Ann's story on CaringBridge via this link... Lucy Ann's Story
*Click on the photo of Lucy Ann to see more from her session.
Ella was adopted from Ethiopia in 2011 at 2 1/2 years old.
We took Ella to urgent care after recurrent abdominal pain in January 2015. They referred us to U of M Masonic Children's hospital because given the symptoms they believed she needed an appendectomy. They did an ultrasound of Ella's abdomen at the U of M and found a large cyst in her ovary. The next day, she had surgery to remove one ovary and the cyst. Pathology confirmed the cyst was malignant. Days later we learned she had Burkitt's Lymphoma.
Ella received very intensive chemotherapy that required her to be hospitalized for a week at a time. She received IV chemo and chemo directly to the spinal fluid (called a lumbar puncture). She also received multiple PET scans to measure the cancer's response to treatment.
Ella was given the news "no evidence of disease" in May 2015.
Cancer treatment causes other issues in a child's life given the intensity of treatment. Ella is now on growth hormone to help her grow. She also receives treatment for anxiety related to medical procedures. Given that Ella received chemo directly to the spinal fluid, this is known to cause learning issues.
Ella's greatest passion right now is competitive gymnastics. She is a competitive gymnast for Twin City Twisters in Champlin.
Ella hopes to be a University of Minnesota Gymnast when she grows up and a PE teacher.
Ella's favorite charities right now are HopeKids and PinkySwear.
Follow Ella's story on CaringBridge via this link... Ella's Story
*Click on the photo of Ella to see more from her session.
Asher is a sweet, silly, active, articulate, kind, and thoughtful 3 1/2-year-old boy. He loves soccer and t-ball, cars and trucks, and playing with older kids. He’s also fighting cancer. Asher was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) 2 1/2 years ago just after he turned one. His response to treatment has been wonderful and he is doing so well! Asher demonstrates his bravery every day as he endures chemo, pokes, and unpleasant side effects with barely any complaints. He will finish treatment this month!
"While he may not remember the cancer fighting part of his life, we know it’s shaped the boy and man he’ll be. We hope it makes him empathic, brave, and resilient. We are so incredibly proud and grateful to call him our son." - Asher's parents
Follow Asher's story on CaringBridge via this link... Asher's Story
*Click on the photo of Asher to see more from his session.
In Spring 2017, then 2-year-old Chance had what seemed to be a virus; he was throwing up, was experiencing headaches and was extra tired. When it lingered, he saw his pediatrician. Several appointments later, and now walking with a hitch in his step, his pediatrician sent Chance to the Children's ER. Within hours, a large mass was found in Chance’s brain and he underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure caused by the CSF fluid that had built up due to the tumor blocking normal draining of fluid. This surgery resolved many of his symptoms quickly. Tumor removal surgery was scheduled for the next week and it was successful. A few days later, Chance had a permanent shunt placed in his brain to assist with CSF regulation.
Initial testing of the tumor indicated it was cancerous. Within a few weeks that was confirmed by St. Jude’s laboratory. Chance was diagnosed with Grade 3 Supratentorial Anaplastic Ependymoma, RELA fusion positive. Chance’s type of cancer, diagnosed at his age, is aggressive with an estimated 50% ten-year survival rate. This meant that even though his tumor had successfully been removed, Chance needed to undergo further treatment with the goal of preventing a recurrence. So, Chance followed a St. Jude protocol that had resulted in early success in a very small test group. The protocol consisted of in-patient chemo, proton beam radiation, and oral maintenance chemo.
Chance had four rounds of in-patient chemo cycles - each round requiring two hospital admissions of 3-5 days, with bonus admissions for fevers when his counts dropped. The first round started the July 4th weekend and his last discharge was mid-October, in between there were around 45 nights spent in the hospital (bringing his total to 60) including several in the PICU after a brain bleed.
After his chemo rounds were complete, Chance and family temporarily relocated to Rochester so he could receive proton beam radiation. Chance had 30 rounds of radiation over the course of 6 weeks. Each weekday morning, he would be put to sleep with propofol and buckled into a mask that would hold him perfectly in place for his treatment. Chance rang the bell signifying the end of his radiation treatment on December 13, 2017. Chance then had six months of oral chemo. Following radiation, Chance increased from intermittent to weekly PT and OT due to damage caused by his tumor and chemo. Chance also spent a year wearing AFOs to help reverse the effects of chemo-induced neuropathy.
Just over two years after finding his tumor, Chance graduated from PT. He continues to receive twice weekly OT with the hope that he will be ready for preschool this September. Chance undergoes surveillance scans- currently every four months and will continue to do so for at least ten years due to the high rate of recurrence of his type of cancer. Chance is doing well and is enjoying being a kid.
Follow Chance's story on CaringBridge via this link...Chance's Story
*Click on the photo of Chance to see more from his session.
Another round of tea party mini sessions complete and they turned out really cute! Click on the photo to see more from this mini session.
On December 22nd, 2018, Audrey was headed to Children's St Paul for an ultrasound. A few days prior at her well baby checkup they noticed her liver was protruding from her abdomen. Mom and Dad had noticed it was looking large and mentioned it to a few different doctors, none of which showed concern...but they wanted answers. Audrey is normally healthy, energetic, a good eater, and has had no issues with growth...there was no way she was sick. Or so they thought.
When the doctor arrived they were asked to sit, then told "this is going to be life changing news, but Audrey has a large tumor on her liver.”
"Immediate sadness suffocated us. How could this be? It can’t be. She’s too well. There’s no way it’s malignant right?" - Audrey's parents
Audrey was then sent to Children's Minneapolis Oncology for additional testing and to receive an official diagnosis. She had a CAT scan, MRI, and an Echocardiogram. The Oncologist confirmed it was cancer of the liver, and unfortunately it had metastasized to her lungs and one of her lymph nodes near her psoas muscle. She was scheduled for a biopsy and started chemo the next day.
In July of 2019, Audrey underwent lung surgery and is now in remission. She has a few more rounds of chemo, but she is a fighter and will get through this.
Follow Audrey's story on CaringBridge via this link... Audrey's Story
*Click on the photo of Audrey to see more from her session.