ABOUT ANNA AND ANNA'S ANGEL FUND

Anna’s Story: As Told by Her Mother, Lisa

At the end of Anna’s 6th grade year in school she suddenly went completely deaf in her right ear. We also noticed that her smile seemed a little crooked. After a rushed trip to her pediatrician and then to a pediatric neurologist at the Egleston campus of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Anna was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. That was June 9, 2003. Two days later she had surgery, followed by six weeks of radiation and a year of chemotherapy.

Her condition seemed stable until the summer of 2004 when Anna’s tumor came back. At that time, her doctor gave her very little time to live. We were told that we needed to go on our Make A Wish trip within two weeks. By the grace of God, Anna’s tumor began to shrink almost immediately afterward without further treatment. We have regular MRIs every few months and know that with every MRI our lives could be changed forever. And, with every MRI, we know that God may ask us to give her back to Him. But, we are parents today because of the power of prayer and because of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Anna has suffered more losses than any child should ever have to. She is almost completely deaf now. She lost her hearing in her other ear due to chemo, and problems with processing caused by a case of shingles. She has been separated from friends by illness and by the silence in her new, deaf world. She was further separated from life as she knew it when we moved to be closer to the hospital and the rest of her medical team. Due to the radiation treatments, she now has a 45 degree curve in her spine and sleeps in a very painful brace. Only surgery can correct it permanently, but doctors will not consider surgery until she is at least 18 yrs old. Anna has no feeling on the right side of her face. Because of that, she doesn’t blink with her right eye and she developed a corneal ulcer, then a corneal scar. Her sight is now very limited in that eye. As with many brain tumor kids, Anna’s balance is also a huge issue for her. She has trouble walking and maintaining her balance. There are so many other scars left by her cancer, but in spite of her daily struggles Anna continues to excel academically with a particular aptitude for science.

How Anna’s Angel Fund Got Started...

When Anna was diagnosed, the outpouring of love and support from family and friends was amazing. Anna was overwhelmed with gifts and cards. However, as she watched those expressions of love come pouring in, she became more and more aware of the other children at the hospital who were not getting the same kind of support. It touched Anna deeply and was very hard for her to accept.

Thanks to Anna, her uncle, and her parents, the idea of Anna’s Angel Fund was born. The beauty of the Angel Fund is that it gives Anna a way to help the children and families who touch her heart and whose lives have also been devastated by pediatric cancer. And, it gives Anna a very special and positive focus while offering her supporters a wonderful way to show Anna that they care. Because children with cancer have little control of things in their lives, giving them control whenever possible is a wonderful thing. The Angel Fund helped to give Anna some control over the pain she saw around her and makes a wonderful difference for other children at the same time.

With very few exceptions, Anna’s financial aid/gifts have been anonymous. It is amazing and humbling to reflect on the extent to which donations have allowed Anna’s Angel Fund to impact children’s lives. Each generous donation is a means to show the love of God in action at a time when these families need it most. God consistently brings children into our lives who need angels like you. As long as Anna continues to receive donations that allow her to make a difference or, until there is a CURE, Anna’s Angel Fund is committed to changing our tiny part of this world forever.