Callie had just turned 2 and two days later, I received a called from her preschool that she was inconsolable and had throw up so i went and picked her up. Over the next 2 weeks Callie was throwing up and had a fever, we spent many days in and out of the doctors office and the emergency room. On our 2nd trip to the emergency room on 1/6/2023 they decided to do a fast CT of the brain and  that is when our world turned upside down. The doctor had come to to inform me that our doctor had a mass the size of a golf ball and that she would need surgery in the next 2/3 days. She said a pediatric neurosurgeon would be coming down to speak to us about the next steps. On 1/9/2023 Callie went back for a craniotomy to remove the mass. They were able to get a gross total resection. They had suspected it was an ependymoma but we would need to wait for the pathology report for the final word. Once we heard that is was confirmed to be ependymoma we were set up for 6 weeks of proton radiation. Callie handled the radiation pretty well until she was diagnosed with meningitis due to a radiation burn. Once that cleared up Callie was back to her old self until July. She started to lose her ability to walk so we took her in for a MRI and they found a lesion on her spinal cord which was a side effect from the radiation. Callie is currently in physical therapy and occupational therapy to try and regain the strength to walk again. Callie has so much determination and willingness to work hard and better herself. She has overcome so many challenges this last year and she is truly my hero. I look at her everyday and see dedication in her eyes to be able to do everything she can’t do.

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If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to:  The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215 and put the child's name in the memo.

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