A year and a half ago, I was introduced to a 12 year old girl named Alyssa. When Alyssa was 9 years old she had been diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, an inoperable and aggressive brain tumor with a 2-3 year life expectancy. She completed a clinical round of chemotherapy in May 2020 and stopped this form of treatment before it could cause more harm than good. The tumor growing in her brain caused her to have vision, speech, and balance problems . Facing a tough decision, her parents took Alyssa out of school for 4 months while she was getting radiation and chemotherapy treatments.  Alyssa's parents lost their second daughter in 2009 who passed away shortly after birth. They were now facing the possibility of losing another child because of cancer.

They decided to begin alternative therapies as a last hope. With these treatments, Alyssa’s tumor has started to reverse and get smaller. She is now considered stable. Her sight, mobility and speech have come back, and she was able to return to school. She gets stronger everyday. The medical team is surprised at how well she is doing, but still say that it's not if, it's when the tumor will start to grow. We are calling her a miracle. These treatments are not covered by insurance and her road to recovery has been expensive. At one time it cost the family over $8,000.

 

I feel so lucky to know Alyssa; I am amazed by her spirit, kindness, hope, and drive. She loves art, makes beautiful drawings and wants to be a doctor one day to help people heal. We want to make sure Alyssa wins this battle against cancer! Anything you can give is graciously appreciated and all of the money raised here will help fund Alyssa’s treatments.