Name: Brookelynn
Diagnosis: atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT)
For a week, 13-month-old Brookelynn was off balance and sick to her stomach. Her parents, Christy and Richard, took her to the pediatrician, who saidBrookelynn had an ear infection. But two days later, when Richard noticed little Brookelynn's hand shaking, he felt something more was afflicting hisdaughter. He was in the process of driving her to the hospital when Brookelynn's hand shaking turned into something much more serious—a seizure, which caused her to lose movement on her left side.
At the hospital, an MRI revealed a tumor on the right side of Brookelynn's head. Doctors suspected ATRT. Brookelynn was immediately flown to a localchildren's hospital, where surgeons removed 100 percent of the tumor. But doctors wanted to wait six weeks before starting treatment. Christy and Richard
were ill at ease with the doctors recommendation, and started searching for alternative options. Their search led them to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
St. Jude staff advised Brookelynn's family not to wait six weeks, as ATRT is a fast-growing cancer. St. Jude, they said, could see her immediately. "We left that night," Christy said. "We literally packed up and left right then."
At St. Jude:
Brookelynn underwent four months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation. She regained strength and movement on her left side. After she returned home, Brookelynn received oral chemotherapy. She visits St. Jude every six months for checkups.
"St. Jude is such a wonderful place," Christy said. The family especially appreciated the housing provided to St. Jude families. "We stayed at the TargetHouse for almost seven months," she said. "It meant a lot. There was so much we didn't have to worry about—the meals, Brookelynn's care. It took a lot of stress off of us."
Christy and Richard are most thankful for what St. Jude has given them—their daughter. "She's still here with us," Christy said. "She's doing really well."Brookelynn, who became a big sister over the summer, is a sweet little girl who loves animals and her baby dolls.
December 2008
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