All professional photos courtesy of Heather Prather

When my daughter Avery was three-months-old, she grew a beautiful belly.    Every day our family would rub and kiss her "budda belly."  Avery grew into her belly a bit by her second birthday in September of 2009.  She even sang, danced, laughed, played, and potty-trained with all of the other kids! She has always been "happy-go-lucky," whimsical, and oh-so sweet.  Little did we know that all of these personality traits would have to aid Avery through the most difficult months of her life. 

Those difficult months began on December 19th, 2009.  When I took her into the doctor to check on continued fevers from an ear infection (or so we thought), I had no idea what was to come.  The doctor felt Avery's belly for 20 seconds, looked at me and told me to pack a bag for a week. We were going directly to Pittsburgh Children's Hospital for a "mass" in her belly or inflated spleen.  After my husband, Tom, drove 90 miles per hour to Pittsburgh, we were told she did indeed have a mass in her belly.   Being an English teacher, I still had no idea what a "mass" was.  I soon learned that for Avery it was cancer. 

Within a few days, I think most of Northwestern Pennsylvania and half of Pittsburgh knew of Avery's diagnosis.  The prayers and well-wishes we received were overwhelming.  Between the email prayer chains and the prayer groups all over the area, I think Avery had as many prayers as the Pope!  The strength that those prayers and thoughts gave us during this time have been nothing short of a miracle. THANK GOD FOR OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Honestly, without our families in Erie and Pittsburgh, we couldn't have gotten through these last few months.  The midnight visits, the phone calls, the food deliveries, the texts, the driving through snowstorms...I can't thank them enough.  Our family and friends have been our rock.

After our radiation treatments were finished, Avery and I made weekly visits to Pittsburgh for out-patient and in-patient chemotherapy treatments that continued through August of 2010.  In addition to the visits for chemotherapy, Avery had to visit Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital for many blood and platelet transfusions as well.  To complicate matters even more, every time Avery spiked a fever she had to be rushed to Hamot Hospital in Erie and transported via ambulance to Pittsburgh for monitoring. 

Our life for those 8 months, and even now, has changed so much.  Avery’s small body could not fight infection due to her compromised immune system, so we rarely left our home except to go to a hospital.  All of the usual 2-year-old activities had to be put on hold.  However, Avery’s spirit never dwindled. 

Since our chemotherapy treatments ended in August, we have been very slowly returning to a normal life.  Her energy is returning, just as her peach fuzz hair slowly returns awaiting the wearing pig-tails like her big sister.   Our trips to Pittsburgh continue, though, and we live in fear that the tumors will return.  Every CT scan paralyzes us.  But Avery’s bravery and persistence keeps us going.  I have come to believe Avery's "happy-go-lucky," whimsical, loving, and oh-so sweet personality have gotten her through these past year of her life.  She inspires me and so many others by her unwavering bravery and spirit.