Melody's Cancer Fight Song

Let me tell you a little about Melody. She is a spirited, bright, happy 5 year old girl. She loves to sing and has this beautiful raspy voice right out of the 1950s. She makes up her own songs on a regular basis and is even hoping to join choir at school. She has a little brother that she loves dearly and makes laugh on a daily basis. In the past week she has also become one of the strongest kids I know.

Monday November 16th started out like any other day in Melody’s house. Her mom getting ready for work, and her brother eating breakfast. Melody however had been suffering from an earache and a swollen lymph node for about a week that just wouldn’t let up. Her dad decided to stay home with her to let her rest and give the doctor a call. She went to see her pediatrician that afternoon and when they looked in her throat they saw that the swelling had spread they recommended she be taken to the hospital for a CT scan.

Once at Children’s Hospital it was determined that what they thought was an infection was really a tumor at the base of Melody‘s brain. They sent her into surgery for a biopsy and had to remove her tonsils in order to get to the tumor. Doctors continued with several more tests, MRI, bone scan, lumbar puncture, and bone marrow. When the results came in it was devastating, Melody has Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissue. Chemo has been started, but she has a long journey ahead of her. Her parents have explained everything to her every step of the way. She is one strong little girl. She used her own form of sign language after her tonsils were out until her throat felt ok to talk. She has figured out how to work the bed, knows how to unplug her O2 sensor when she needs to go to the bathroom, and can contact the nurse and verbally explain how she’s feeling. She is demonstrating courage, intelligence, patience and adaptability through all of this. She understands that her body has some “bad cells” and that the medicine is getting rid of those cells so that she can feel better.

This has all happened so fast and Melody’s parents are not to the point yet of thinking about how they will pay for everything. They just want their little girl to get better and that is why I am starting this fund for them. If you are able to give to help this family out, please do. If you can’t please pray that God guide these doctors to do their best when treating this special little girl.

Thank you for your consideration.

Link for description of Rhabdomyosarcoma in children:

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/rhabdomyosarcoma/detailedguide/rhabdomyosarcoma-what-is-rhabdomyosarcoma