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 June 9, 2004. The last day of school, Courtney played in the band for the
high school graduation. By the weekend she was having pain in her back
and neck, and weakness in her left arm. Monday we were advised by our family
doctor to take her to Children's hospital that same night. After countless
tests, doctor's and exam's we were given the news at 3am Tuesday morning.
Courtney had a tumor growing within her cervical spine. Surgery was scheduled
for Tues afternoon, but then changed to 8am Wen Morning. The surgery was
successful in removing the tumor, but then we got the news that it was
a grade 3 Anaplastic Astrocytoma of the cervical spine. She would need
to undergo chemo and radiation as soon as possible. Along with the fact
that the surgery had left the entire left side of her body paralyzed. After
8 days she was moved back to Johnstown and entered a rehabilitation center
where we spent the next 5 weeks learning to walk and regain the use of
her arm. Courtney came home the same day her radiation and chemo therapy
started. After the 42 days, her coarse ended and she started school just
2 days later, still unable to walk and using a wheelchair.
Her school and her friends were great. Helping her when ever she needed
it. After about 5 weeks we decided together that she should stay home for a
few weeks. With the long hours in school and getting back and forth she
had little time for therapy. She returned to school right before Thanksgiving
walking with a quad cane, but no wheelchair. She still wasn't using her
left arm and used her wheelchair for trips to the store. By Feb 2005 she
wasn't using either, just a regular cane for balance. She continued using
Temodor (Chemo) for 9 months. That ended in June 2005. She was so happy
and we had a great summer.
Sep 29, 2005...follow up MRI (she had one every 3 months since her surgery)
We didn't hear from her Dr. right away like we usually did, so I started
to get concerned. Monday we were called with the bad news. The tumor started
to re grow. A week later she was scheduled for surgery to insert a port
in her chest. Of coarse that night the port moved and had to be reinserted
again the next night. We spent about 18 hours in the hospital both days.
(was only supposed to be a few hours each day) Right from the beginning
nothing went right. She started a new coarse of chemo that would last 5
days, a combination of iv and pill followed by blood work twice a week
for 5 weeks. The following month the MRI showed the tumor doubled in size
and the chemo was not working. She was switched to another type of chemo
again the tumor was growing rapidly.
Jan 5th, 2006...another MRI and the news that no parent ever wants to hear.
This chemo was not working and there was nothing more they can do. She
was given 2-4 weeks to live.....Courtney and I had both known the chemo
wasn't working. Over the Christmas break the pain in her neck and back
was returning. I was taken to a separate room and given the news, as hard
as I tried....nothing can prepare you for that type of news. After I was
able to compose myself we went into talk to Courtney and tell her the news.
Her Dr. gave her the news, and a few tears fell from her eyes and she said,
" I already knew it". She dried her eyes and Dr.Jakacki told
her a little about god and life after death.
We talked for a while and she started to cry again. I asked her why was
she crying this time. Turns out she was more worried about telling her
father, little sister and the rest of the family then she was about
herself. She knew they were not going to take this news well at all. It
was a long drive home, we cried, we laughed, we sang and talked about life.
We told the family and she was so right... The next day Courtney went to
school, she wanted to be the one to tell her friends and teachers. She
had grown so close to everyone at the school over the past 18
months since this whole thing started. No one was prepared for the news.
 In Dec I had heard about "Tahitian Noni Juice". (Please click here to read a note from Anita about the price.) I did a lot of research and it sounded to good to be true. I could not
decide if I should spend that kind of money and have Courtney not like
it or drink it. I wrestled with it for a few weeks and still could not
decide. I had tried everything, Flaxseed, Flaxseed Oil, Ph balancing, all
Organic diet, no dairy, not red meat, etc, I didn't want to torture her
anymore. After finding out about her diagnosis, a friend of the family
shows up at my front door with a case of the same Tahitian Noni Juice. To me it was a sign, I started giving it to her that same night. As I
write this it has been about 7 weeks since her diagnosis. Although she
is a little weaker and still has pain in her neck and back, she is still
with me. She has become a true inspiration and hero to everyone who knows
her, including me. Her friends had a prayer service for her and handed
out Orange ribbons (Courtney's favorite color). Soon after, orange ribbon's
started showing up on mailboxes and homes in our area. The support
we have been given amazes me every day. She may only be 15 years old, but
she has touched more people in her short life than most people will ever
do in a whole life time.
My daughter, my hero and my best friend...
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