UPDATE OCTOBER 16, 2023

Dear friends and family,

Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers and words of encouragement as Cecilia continues treatment.

We have been at Egleston Children's Hospital since September 25th and in the PICU since October 6th. Cecilia has completed her first round of high dose chemo + stem cell transplant and is doing incredibly well. It has been difficult to manage her nausea and sodium levels, but overall, the experience has been much less traumatic than we were expecting. We are so very grateful that she made it through with only low grade mucositis that did not cause her any pain.

Now that her sodium has been stable for a few days, we will move back to the BMT floor where we will wait for all of her other numbers to be stable enough for her to be discharged.

Cecilia is still Cecilia! Most recently, she has really enjoyed playing with Squigz with her physical therapist, making lots of sticker pictures, creating animals with her craft kit, watching her favorite Disney movies (Robin Hood, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Aristocats, Frozen, and Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas), and reading lots of books. I bought her a few pre-pre-K activity books (with stickers, of course) and she seems excited to learn her letters.

We are hoping to make it home by the end of the week so we can spend some time together at home before she is re-admitted for round two. At this rate, she will finish chemotherapy by the end of 2023. Having her home will be the best (likely belated) Christmas gift ever.

Lots of love to all of you. We are so grateful for you!

Emily

Your contributions, no matter the amount, will make a world of difference for the Fleckenstein family - Celicia's dad, Nate, mother, Emily and brother, James. Every donation will go towards Cecilia's medical expenses, rehabilitation programs, and other essential resources that will help her as she battles brain cancer. Also, please share our GoFundMe campaign with your network to increase our reach and amplify the impact of your support.