To say our world was turned upside-down would be an understatement. There are no words to describe the trauma that is pediatric cancer. As the mother of a child who had cancer, I can firmly say that I am not the person I was before my baby had cancer, nor will I ever be that person again. 

My daughter, Fionna was just five months old when she was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma. Besides numerous kinds of testing, she had 2 rounds of chemotherapy, a liver surgery to remove her tumor, and another 2 rounds of chemo before she was declared "in remission." Now, Fionna and (because of a spontaneous genetic condition) her identical twin sister go for routine testing to confirm they are both healthy and cancer-free. 

While treatment was smooth, the lifestyle of pediatric cancer is anything but! Just because the cancer is gone, doesn't mean the journey is over. The fears and worries still linger, especially when testing time very quickly approaches. What does the future have in store for us? What if the cancer comes back? What if her sister gets it? What people don't understand is a person's cancer journey is never EVER really over. But everyone at PCFLV knows. They were there for us throughout the nightmare and beyond. The way they care for each and every family member is incredibly touching. They know nothing will ever change the hardships we go through, but they certainly try the hardest they can to lighten the load. We are forever grateful. 

Written by Fionna’s mom, Danielle

Please consider helping children with cancer and others in our community by scheduling a blood donation at Miller-Keystone Blood Center: https://donor.giveapint.org/donor/schedules/zip