From the Relay For Life of Clinton County: C’s Story: Fight Like a Girl!

For those of you, who may not know me, allow me to introduce myself! My name is C.J., I am 9 months old, and I am a cancer survivor…nice to meet ya! Many of you may be familiar with my story, but when Relay For Life asked mommy to share my experience, I wanted in on the action! 

My journey with cancer began when I was 4 months old. My mom and dad had always joked about my big belly and called me the gruntress because I always would grunt like it was hard to just breathe. They asked Dr. Rivera about it at my well baby check up, and he sent us to St. Joseph’s in Breese for an x-ray. The x-ray led us to an Ultra-sound, and the ultrasound led us to a CAT scan. That’s when everything changed.

It was February 15th and Dr. Rivera asked us which children’s hospital we wanted, mommy said wherever he felt was best. So we jumped in the car and were off to Children’s Hospital in St. Louis on a Sunday afternoon. I was admitted to the ninth floor (the cancer floor, which mommy and daddy didn’t realize until later). The next two days were filled with hurry up and wait. Then I was biopsied on Tuesday and officially diagnosed Friday with Neuroblastoma. I had baseball sized tumor behind my heart that was pressing on my lungs, as well as cancer in my liver that enlarged it to five times its normal size.

After my biopsy, I had some respiratory distress, which led to a 6 week stay in the pediatric intensive care unit. I had to be on the ventilator for six weeks and have my first round of chemo in the PICU. Finally my liver shrunk just enough to get me off the vent and back to the 9th floor!

Since then, I have completed 7 rounds of chemotherapy and am scheduled to FINISH my 8th at the end of July. I have had some hospital stays for fevers and vomiting, and I receive blood and platelets on a pretty regular basis, but all in all I have been pretty blessed!

Neuroblastoma, or cancer of the nerves, is the most common type of cancer in babies under the age of one. We were surprised to learn how
common it truly is, but were relieved when we found out the survival rate was 90% at my age! And let me tell ya – I am a fighter!

Now why am I writing this? Because Relay is an organization that raises funds for the all important research for cures for cancer – and you can help! Fundraising is needed for cancer research and treatment methods as well as helping those currently battling the disease by providing things like transportation to and from treatments. An easy way to fight back through fundraising in our area is through the Relay For Life!

The funds from the Clinton County Relay For Life will go to help local cancer patients and their families – and there’s so many ways you can
help! You can form a team, join a team, join the committee, volunteer to help out the day of the Relay or just support a team by attending an
event or donating money – you can even donate online! (www.relayforlifeclinton.com).

And just coming out to the Relay on Friday, August 7 will help too… and you’ll have so much fun! Every ounce of support for this event will
help someone, maybe even yourself or someone you know, in the fight against cancer…So please come out to the 2009 Clinton County Relay for Life on August 7! You can meet me, watch me as I walk the survivor lap (and my mommy cries!), and support all the various Relay for Life teams all there for one purpose to FIGHT, and BEAT cancer! There are lots of fun things to do there, fun prizes to win and lots of yummy food to eat too!

I come from a long line of cancer survivors, so I promise I will continue to fight like a girl! What will you do to FIGHT BACK?