Tuesday, December 23, 2014

1 year ago today and a new birthday ....

The picture is painful to view, and brings back a flood of bad memories. However, the picture also shows a Fierce Fighter, and tells a story of pain, struggle, strength, determination, and love. Exactly 1 year ago today, Delaney received her first autologous bone marrow transplant. On this day Delaney received her own stem cells back that were taken from her by a apheresis machine, and preserved. After each bone marrow transplant those very stem cells were given back to Delaney, to "rescue" herself, earning another birthday. The chemotherapy she received was too much for the body of a child. And with the tradition of a bone marrow transplant, Mommy and Daddy softly sang happy birthday to Delaney while she lay in the hospital bed. Delaney has come so far in just one year, and again the most recent picture speaks for it's self. We are thankful beyond words. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. As always...... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!
Happy Birthday Delaney, we love you.

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Monday, December 15, 2014

Delaney Continues To Amaze Us........

The appointments continued into this week at Oakland Kaiser and UCSF. Mommy and Daddy were able to go over the MRI images in person with Delaney's neuro-oncologist at Oakland Kaiser, along with the next steps and or phases of Delaney's recovery. Delaney will have another MRI scan in 3 months, the beginning of March to be exact, this will be a milestone because after that scan, Delaney's MRI scans will move out to once every 4 months for a year, instead of every 3 months. Furthermore she will meet with a multi disciplinary team of doctors annually to follow her in her recovery. This is to track any adverse effects to Delaney's body from the chemotherapy and radiation, then to manage those side effects. The appointment went very well, Delaney continues to move forward in recovery, in a positive direction. On to UCSF. At UCSF it was reiterated to Mommy and Daddy that Delaney still has a suppressed immune system and it is sensitive. Although her blood counts and blood chemistry have begun to stabilize it will take more time before they reach a normal level, that being of a child that has not received chemotherapy or radiation. During the appointment there was a diamond in the rough to be had, we are so thankful of certain things, in a horrible situation. That being Delaney's hearing. She has normal hearing and the bone marrow transplant doctor continued to explain that in all of his time, and the high dose of Carboplatin (a chemotherapy drug) Delaney has received, he has never seen a child keep all of their hearing. Most all have a significant loss or decrease in hearing. He said it was simply amazing. Furthermore they have released Delaney to receive "dead" vaccinations once again. And today Delany received 6 separate vaccination shots, another step in the road to recovery. We as a family are so thankful for the new health of Delaney and our family. Also the amazing news on Delaney's MRI and prognosis, an early Christmas gift for Mommy and Daddy that cannot be put into words. Lastly, Thank you. Thanks to each and everyone of you, who continue to follow and support Delaney. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. As always ...... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Friday, December 5, 2014

MRI is clear!!!!!

We are very blessed. It has been a very stressful week for the family. Thank you for all the prayers, love and, support. As always..... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Delaney is set to have yet another MRI this Thursday, December 4, at 8am.

It will have already been 3 months from her last MRI. That being said, the almost uncontrollable wave of emotions, stress, anticipation, and anxiety, are real and weighing heavy on our minds. Just the thought of entering the hospital with Delaney is hard enough. However, we will always remain optimistic, positive, and steadfast. We follow Delaney's lead as usual, with a fierce glimmer in her eyes and a big smile on her face, that is all we need to see. Delaney continues to improve in all areas of her daily challenges, well enough, we have begun potty training once again, picking up where we left off 14 months ago. As we all continue to recover emotionally and physically, our house feels more alive and happy again, and just from the simple joy of seeing our children being able to play with one another and have a childhood. With much love, we thank you all for the continued prayers, love and support. As always..... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Friday, November 14, 2014

Smiles, smiles, smiles.

It has been a very, very, long, exhausting, emotional, and difficult year. Yet it remains a year that cannot be put into words. However, there were, and still are, two constants. Those two constants have been ever so profound in Delaney's character and those are her fierceness and most importantly her ability to smile in the most horrible of circumstances. As many of you have seen and probably agree with. Each day, she smiles brighter and bigger, reminding us, as a family, to seek out the positives in any circumstances, because the negativity can bring you down. It is interesting how much we can learn form a 3 year old child. There are two other little victories that Delaney has had since her last post, pertaining to her vision and hearing, where she had a 6 month post treatment follow up for both. Even though she has strabismus in her left eye, caused from the pressure of the tumor, Delaney has 20/20 vision. This is not always the case. And Delaney's hearing remains unaffected from the aggressive amounts of chemotherapy and radiation. Furthermore, Delaney is physically getting stronger, walking and playing. As for her eating, it is still a daily challenge, but the aversion to eating is losing its grip, as Delaney fiercely pushes forward. December 4th marks yet another day for another MRI. 3 months will have passed already since her last MRI. We thank each of you for continuing to walk with Delaney and our family through this journey. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. As always ..... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but, LITTLE she is FIERCE!"

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Delaney is doing wonderful.

No matter what challenges Delaney faces daily, she continues to make progress in all areas of her young life. Yesterday, Delaney had a doctors appointment with her pediatrician, for a thorough exam and to receive her 2nd flu shot. Thankfully her T-Cells are functioning well enough for her to receive her 1st flu shot 30 days ago, and the 2nd yesterday. Delaney's immune system is very fragile and must be treated as though she is a newborn. Delaney's weight is on track and has leveled at around 30 1/2 lbs. range, she is in the 50th percentile for her weight. She in trying more foods and had 1/2 of a hot dog the other day, a big step for her. As for Delaney's motor skills, she, for the most part is walking unassisted through out the house, playing with her brothers, but Mommy and Daddy can see the pride beaming from her face when she gets things out of the refrigerator, or throws trash away, it is the independence she feels, having been dependent for so long. Delaney is making brief trips out of the house, going to the pumpkin patch, walking downtown, and visiting Daddy at work. Most importantly we are able to spend time as a family, doing little things together. We can not be thankful enough for everyone's support, that being said, thank you, for all of the continued support, love, and prayers for our daughter Delaney, they are truly appreciated. As always..... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Wishes Really Do Come True!!!!!

The greatest wish we can ever want is Delaney's health and happiness and we continue to see her wish grow everyday.

Things continue to move in a positive direction for Delaney, all the while she works hard each and everyday, not letting the set backs or challenges get the best of her or us. Delaney is getting stronger, happier, and healthier everyday. We are all so thankful, and blessed to see how far she has come. It makes Mommy and Daddy's hearts so happy to see her enjoying life, as she should, as a child without a care in the world, and not being sick. The mental scars and healing continue, and this was apparent while Delaney was on her Make A Wish trip to Disneyland. As we pulled into the cement parking structure at Disneyland, immediately and without hesitation Delaney said "We are at Doctors?" Which we replied "No baby girl, we are at Disneyland!" This was because the parking structure reminded her of where she received radiation for, for 28 days. This conversation of reassurance continued for a couple of minutes, but there was no convincing Delaney. It was hard and sad for Mommy and Daddy to hear Delaney say that. However, we as a family are beginning and tying our best to push out the horrible, bad memories, and replace them with new, happy, joyful memories. It will take time but we will get there.

Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. As always.... GO TEAM DELANEY!!

"And though she be but LITTLE she is FIERCE!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Another Milestone.....

Yesterday was the mark of yet another milestone. Delaney's home health nurse came by for the last time yesterday, for a health evaluation and weight check on Delaney. It felt like this day would never come. Delaney has received care from the same nurse for nearly one year, every single week and at times, up to 3 times per week. She was there to answer calls at all hours of the day or night, (even at 11pm when Delaney threw up her feeding tube, that she needed for medication and formula). She was there to provide detailed loving nursing care, clarity in confusion, and simply said, she does a job that is a difficult one, to say the least, and one that can only be done by a few. It is not goodbye, just the start of a new chapter. Thank you Rosie. For your care for Delaney, we love you. Little Miss Fierce 's weight is up again another 1.5 oz, a total weight increase of 3oz in a little over a week. She now weighs 30lbs. 12oz. We are very proud of Delaney and her hard work to eat food again. Next, because of the possible side effects from the brain operation, chemotherapy, and radiation Mommy and Daddy set up an evaluation with the Livermore School District for Delaney. This evaluation is a proactive approach to make sure Delaney is on track or remains age appropriate for schooling, and if necessary, to find out what early education resources are available to her. The evaluation was performed by a team from the school district, specializing in many different areas of cognitive development. Upon leaving we were happy and thankful to hear that things seem on track, except for the obvious physical setbacks. We will meet with the team again at the end of the month to go over their findings in detail. Delaney is doing great, she is very happy playing with her brothers, and gaining more of her childhood back each day. She has come so far and in a horrible situation Mommy and Daddy are so very thankful for the outcome all the positive progress she is making. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. As always.... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

It has been been a solid 2 weeks since Mommy and Daddy have been able to do a complete and thorough update on Delaney. First off Mommy and Daddy are thrilled to say that Delaney is happy, laughing, full of love and over all, is doing great! A full 8 weeks have passed since Delaney's feeding tube was removed, (after being placed for a year) and now is starting to become a bad memory for all of us. Delaney's last weight check was on Friday, September 26th. She weighs 30lbs. 9oz. Up 3oz from her lowest weight (30lbs. 6oz.). We are optimistic, hoping, and praying that her weight has stabilized and will now finally begin trending upward, gaining weight. She will be weighed again on Friday. This last week Delaney has reached 1000 calories per day, her primary source of nutrition remains puréed foods, milk, and a few solid foods. Physically, Delaney is making progress after she lost the ability to walk over a year ago, Mommy and Daddy are able to watch Delaney walk small distances through out the house unassisted, such a beautiful thing to watch. As a family we try to regain or adapt to our "new normal" but there are many challenges still faced each day due to Delaney's brain operation, chemotherapy and radiation. As hard and challenging as the days are, we are blessed and thankful for Delaney's prognosis, progress, and the ability to regain her physical abilities and health. It is what she gave up during treatment, in order to become healthy again. We as a family are grateful to each and every one of you, beyond words, for the support and love you have given Delaney. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. As always ..... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Team,

Team Delaney has partnered with Mamas Night Out - A Benefit to Unravel Pediatric Cancer for an amazing event in Livermore. For each ticket purchased using " Team D" promotion code during your check out $20 dollars will go to Delaney for her recovery and therapy.

Saturday, October 18, 2014 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM The Barn 3131 Pacific Ave Livermore, CA 94550

A little bit about Unravel Pediatric Cancer... Unravel is a nonprofit organization working to spread knowledge about the grim realities of pediatric cancer and the devastating impact from the lack of funding. We supply the information, tools and support to individuals and communities that want to help create change– because good people want to do good things but sometimes they need help getting started. All monies raised by and for Unravel will go directly to the fight against pediatric cancer. http://unravelpediatriccancer.org/

To purchase tickets click on link below.

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/mamas-night-out-a-benefit-to-unravel-pediatric-cancer-tickets-12728271603?aff=es2&rank=3

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Friday, September 12, 2014

On This Fierce Friday, It has been one year to day, that Delaney was at Oakland Kaiser, and already headed down for a 12 hour brain operation to remove a tumor, measuring 4cm X 5cm.

The operation was a success it was a 100% gross resection, we are so blessed and thankful. The resection was Delaney's biggest first step in her Fierce Fight. Later only to find out it was cancerous, and she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. A nationally recognized protocol for treatment was to follow; 3 rounds of chemotherapy at Kaiser Oakland, 3 triple tandem chemotherapy treatments with 3 autologous bone marrow transplants and 28 days of focal radiation. Yes, the MRI is ugly, and brings about unexplainable emotions and memories for Mommy and Daddy, but it is an ugly truth, a truth that Delaney and other children are faced with, without choice, fiercely fighting for life.

Delaney's feeding tube has been out for almost 7 weeks now. Delaney is working very hard on her eating, it still remains challenging for her, Mommy and Daddy. Delaney has many, many challenges she still faces on a daily basis. We will continue to follow Delaney's lead, fiercely moving forward, on the slow road to recovery. Again we cannot thank each of you enough for all of the support you have give Delaney and our family. Thank you for all the prayers, love and support. As always.... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!

Thursday, September 11, 2014

This month Team Delaney - Home Page will be going gold to support Delaney and Childhood Cancer. Join Delaney and others like her fight this battle by going gold.

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Monday, September 8, 2014

365 Days of Fierce, and Counting!

Exactly 1 year ago today Delaney was admitted to the hospital and her FIERCE Fight began. Just a few days later Delaney would endure a 12 hour successful brain surgery followed by an aggressive treatment plan that included 6 rounds of chemotherapy, 28 days of focal radiation, MRIs, blood transfusions, stem cells, and so much more that no child should ever have to experience. As challenging and hard as it was for Delaney, she is now, as of today, 98 days Cancer Free!

We could not have done it without the support of family, friends, strangers now friends, communities around the country, businesses, nonprofits, co-workers, fundraisers, doctors, nurses, 4,500 plus Fierce Friday shirts, and of course the countless prayers and support we continue to see for Delaney. We are truly blessed to have our daughter surrounded by so many loving and caring people.

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4oMkYLh0AQ

MRI Clear!!!

We received Delaney's MRI results this afternoon and she remains cancer free with no evidence of tumor! The wait for the MRI results feel crippling, making it hard to get through the day, but receiving such amazing news is a blessing, and makes it all go away. With a hug and a kiss to Delaney from Mommy and Daddy, and telling her, "I Love You." It is in these moments we are thankful for the innocence of a young child, to live life each day, perhaps not fully understanding exactly what is going on. Thank you for all the prayers, love and support. As always... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Delaney is just shy of a year (by two weeks) since she underwent a successful 12 hour brain operation to remove a tumor.

After the brain operation Delaney lost the ability to sit up, walk, talk, and eat, Delaney lost the ability to do everything. Even her vision was and is still effected. From that day forward Delaney has had to re-learn everything she already knew how to do. All the while battling the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. But she has worked fiercely to get where she is today. The road to recovery will be slow and long but Delaney puts a smile on each day working hard re-gain all that was lost. Delaney has had a busy week with feeding therapy, an appointment for an infusion to help her immune system recover, 2 weight checks, feeding tube still out, and physical therapy. Since Delaney did not have her Broviac she needed an IV placed in her hand, and Delaney did outstanding with the needle stick, with the help of Emla cream, used to numb her skin. At her weight check on Monday Delaney lost 1 1/2 pounds over 3 weeks. Then today at her weight check 4 days later she gained a 1/2 pound back. We hope that her weight is starting to stabilize. On Tuesday, September 2nd, Delaney will have another full brain and spine MRI. A day full of stress, anxiety, and unexplainable emotions. But as she has done before, just one look from Delaney and Mommy and Daddy are quickly reminded and filled with a fierce drive to do all we can to comfort her and keep her heathy and moving forward. Thank you for always thinking of our daughter, and family. Thank you for all the prayers, love and support. As always.... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Delaney's feed tube remains out!!

Just over 2 weeks now and Delaney's feed tube remains out. Delaney has only lost 1/2 pound over the course of 2 weeks. A huge accomplishment for Delaney considering she has not eaten on her own for almost a year. Delaney is working extremely hard to try and eat, and every meal or snack is very challenging for her. Mommy and Daddy are right by her side encouraging her in every way, however, it is very stressful and an extreme amount of work, as we can not help but count every calorie, weigh every bite out in grams, and track all of her liquid intake. By doing so we hope to have the best understanding as to where she is getting the most of her calories or how to make up calories when she is lacking them. Also it is to continue to keep the feeding tube out. Delaney is still currently taking zofran an anti nausea medication twice per day. We have begun to taper this slowly so that she may be completely off medication in a few weeks. Delaney continues to be very active and happy. She has had more opportunities to go to the park and go swimming. Which we guess the pool feels good for her since she continues to regain her ability to walk. Delaney will not be weighed for week, unless there are some drastic changes in her eating and drinking habits. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. As always.... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Delaney's progress continues....

It has been 8 days since Delaney's feeding tube was removed. Mommy and Daddy are thrilled to say the feeding tube remains out. However, it goes without saying that each day is a challenge, and a lot of hard work is put into each meal and snack. If you were to name a food or drink we can almost guarantee we have tried more than once and in 3 different ways. We have established a few "go to" foods and those include Danimals, yogurt, chocolate milk, juice boxes, grapes, Cheerios, and BBQ chips and all other food is hit or miss through out the day. There is a constant balance between re-affirming the consequences of not eating and encouraging and supporting each and every bite. Mommy and Daddy trying to make more time for Delaney to venture out but the fear of serious infection has been so deeply ingrained in us, it is a way of life that is not easily changed. For example when Mommy and Daddy took Delaney to park, Mommy essentially disinfected the entire play structure where Delaney was playing and where her hands would touch. It sounds unreal but we have had to live that way, even under our own roof for the past 11 months. As with everything that we do for Delaney it is a means to and end, a healthy happy child. Delaney remains happy, active and full of love. Thank you for all the prayers, love, support. As always...... GO TEAM DELANEY!!!

"And though she be but LITTLE, she is FIERCE!"