Hope for Hepatoblastoma

(Occasionally I will change pictures, but they will always be of Matthew, his sister Bonnie and best-friend Graham during the summer of 2002. I am also currently working on Matthew's book where his story will be told in further detail.)

Hepatoblastoma is a rare childhood liver cancer. It occurs in only one child per million a year and accounts for one percent of all pediatric cancers worldwide. Because it is so rare, the research, funding and information is also rare.

The purpose of this webpage is to provide hope to parents who are looking for more information on this disease. After our son was diagnosed I searched for all the medical literature I could find on this disease and it was very limited. So I contacted other parents of Hepatoblastoma who had a webpage for their child, those parents led me to other parents of Hepatoblastoma and we formed our own support group. Other than God, my greatest source of hope and information came from these parents and I will share their stories in Section II. I hope these stories will give you what you may not find elsewhere and that is, Hope for Hepatoblastoma.

I also want to briefly share Matthew's two-year battle with Hepatoblastoma. If you were to ask me for the most important piece of advice, I would probably say, if the initial surgery does not rid all disease, immediately "get a transplant". At the time Matthew was diagnosed (2000) it wasn't considered a first option (like it is now) and I can't help but feel if we had transplanted instead of doing nine surgeries (including four liver resections), especially when his Afp was 65, it would have changed things.

We do not claim to be experts nor is this page intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Because of confidentiality issues, the names of doctors, surgeons and oncologists have been omitted from this page but if you want more detailed information, email me at J9bryan@aol.com or the parent (email addresses are provided & prior approval has been granted).

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Early Warning signs of Childhood Cancer (reprinted with permission from www.goldribbons.com)

Continued, unexplained weight loss

Headaches, often with vomiting, at night or early morning

Increased swelling or persistent pain in bones, joints, back, or legs

Lump or mass, especially in the abdomen, neck, chest, pelvis, or armpits

Development of excessive bruising, bleeding, or rash

A whitish color behind the pupil

Nausea which persists or vomiting without nausea

Constant tiredness or noticeable paleness

Eye or vision changes which occur suddenly and persist

Recurrent fevers of unknown origin

Now here is Matthew's story of courage and hope:

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"Mommy, I need to rest for a minute"; that was the first subtle sign. It was mid-May 2000 and Matthew was 4. At first I thought the S.C. heat was getting to him but the next week while riding his bike, he started crying saying it was too hard to pedal. I had his allergy medication switched to one that was non-sedating, hoping this would help his energy level.

In June he started having sporadic fevers of 100-101. I took him to the pediatrician three times that month (seeing various doctors in the practice) and I told of his decreased energy, fevers, and now night sweats. Each doctor told me it was viral, would run its course and not to worry about it.

On July 4th he had a 101 fever and severe abdominal pains. He was crying so hard I was sure he had food-poisoning or a bad stomach virus; still, the word "cancer" never entered my mind. I took him to the pediatrician for the fourth time, took my log and reviewed his symptoms (1) fevers of unknown origin (2) decreased energy (3) night sweats and now (4) abdominal pain. If you know anything about childhood cancer (which I didn't) you know these are all early warning signs but again he was diagnosed as "viral". This time I personally requested bloodwork and it showed his hemoglobin was low. This doctor told me the problem was Matthew was "anemic". I was handed a list of iron-rich foods to increase in his diet, instructed to give a multi-vitamin with iron and return in 6 weeks for another hemoglobin check.

Over the weekend Matthew lifted his arms to put on a shirt and I noticed his right ribcage seemed to stick out farther than the left one. On Monday morning I took him to a different pediatrician; this man had just joined this staff and after one abdominal examination he told me Matthew's liver was enlarged and complete bloodwork was ordered.

Almost two months had passed since his first appointment, he had four different abdominal examinations yet no one noticed an enlarged liver (by the size of it it had been that way for sometime). He wanted Matthew admitted to the children's hospital for an MRI.

That evening, July 13, 2000 at 8:30 pm, the pediatrican and resident came to tell us the news I had never expected to hear. The MRI showed a large mass in his right liver lobe that was creeping into the left and it resembled a rare malignant childhood cancer. We were in shock and spent the night crying "God, why our child?".

The next day we were escorted into a room of doctors, nurses and medical students to review his MRI. There in a room full of strangers we were shown the tumor that lived inside our son's body. An oncologist told us we could measure the amount of disease in his body by his Alpha Feta Protein. Normal is an 8 and Matthews was 394,000 so they were almost sure it was Hepatoblastoma but a surgical biopsy was done to confirm their diagnosis and at the same time a port-a-cath was inserted under his chest skin. Because of the number of sticks he would now be receiving, this would be used to access him for any bloodwork, transfusions, chemotherapy or other drugs that could be given intravenously.

After four rounds of Cisplatin, Vincristine &5-FU his Afp fell to 16,000. We met with a local surgeon but because the tumor lied too close to the portal vein and main arteries in his liver, he felt Matthew was inoperable. He suggested Matthew do more chemo but his oncology team said he was becoming chemo-resistant. It was suggested we look into a liver-transplant. At the time transplant was experimental for Hepatoblastoma and there was not much data available so I decided to get a second opinion.

After spending hours researching, we decided to go to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland who specialized in pediatric liver resections and transplants. We sent Matthew's latest scans via Fed-Ex to the head transplant surgeon. He called us the next day and told us he thought Matthew was resectable and would not need a transplant. One week later, we were on our way to Baltimore, Maryland. We, nor Matthew had no idea what lied ahead. He went through a six-hour operation and a month of recovery with many complications, at times we thought we were losing him. Two months later, his Afp was still 375 and a CT showed the cancer was again in his liver and now, lungs. We went back home in January and began chemo again, in hopes to rid the remaining and micro disease. During this time, it was the stories that other moms had given me (see below) that gave me the hope to keep going.

Matthew had four rounds of VP16 & Carboplatin to which he responded well. Five surgeries later his Afp was 65 but since there were no other chemotherapy agents left to try that he was not resistant to, we researched other modalities. I got the idea to use radiation from another mom of hepatoblastoma.

In February 2002, I arranged for us to meet with a radiation oncologist in Georgia who specialized in using radiation (we live in SC). He told us he had used this on four other cases, of which three were successful. However, Matthew did not respond and his Afp rose to 560.

By April his Afp was 2600 and Matthew started having random headaches so I asked for a head CT. We sobbed as we saw the 4 cm tumor on his brain, it was located in the right frontal lobe. A craniotomy was done and it was suggested we follow up with an experimental chemo of Celebrex, oral VP16 and Thalidomide. He did this for two months; however it also was not effective and his Afp continued to rise to 150,000. Again, I drew my strength to go-on from these other moms, from prayer and from God.

By June his afp was 340,000. A full-body Ct revealed his liver was peppered with lesions and he had three lesions in his trachea which were obstructing his breathing. His oncologist said he would try radiation on the trachea, not to be curative, just palliative. After two weeks of radiation his Afp was 580,000 and higher than when he was first diagnosed. The lesions remained unchanged so we stopped radiation and left for the mountains to get away from this nightmare that was closing in on us.

Almost two years after he was first diagnosed, July 5th, Matthew's Afp was 1,000,000 and his oncologist told us they had done all they could. He estimated his life expectancy to be weeks and suggested we call in hospice and have pain medication ready.

Somehow, the reality of his death was still uncomprehendable. By August his abdomen was extended and his pain was controlled by hydrocodone and morphine. However this caused unbearable itching so we switched to methadone. He had to use breathing treatments, nebulizer, oxygen as needed and vistaril for anxiety. He realy did not want to do anything, not even go outside, especially not without mommy. He would tire easily and state he was sad or bored. He started waking up crying with night terrors, which was heartbreaking, and we had to hold him and love him to get him back to sleep.

On August 25th, 2002, our precious little boy went to heaven but not without a story to tell. Matthew spoke several words which I started journaling. He talked about seeing two men, that we could not see, and I will write more about this in Matthew's book but we know that angels came to escort Matthew to heaven.

At midnight my bedroom door opened and Cooper called my name crying "Janine, he's gone..... Matthews gone, he's gone". I could not comprehend that, I had to see for myself. I stumbled to where he was and looked at Matthew's chest. No longer was it rising up and down, no longer could I see his heart beating fast. I fell to the floor and a wave of nauseau came over me like I have never felt before. I was shaking all over and saw Cooper walk to the phone and call EMT. From there, the nightmare began and ended.

I went and held my son in my arms and I held him for two hours. Matthew never went far without me and even if his daddy took him somewhere he always wanted to know when I would meet him there. That was our saying when he rode with his daddy, "I'll meet you there", and that seemed to comfort him. Now, this seemed to only comfort me, I held him for two hours and cried, "I'll meet you there buddy".

Because of so many miracles in my life, I was certain God would heal my son. It was very hard for me to believe He wouldn't and hard to understand why He did not. For over two years, we fought the good fight and endured many obstacles. I miss my son terribly but now pray, "Lord, come quickly". My prayer for others is that you know God and have His source of hope so you will be able to endure this nightmare before you and possibly slay this dragon called cancer that has come into your lives.

"...I hold my children with more tenderness than I used to and I'd like to think that some of the people around us, who saw how suddenly and drastically a family's life can change, hold their children a little dearer as well"

(Janes-Hodder & Keene, 1999, Childhood Cancer).

In Christ Alone, Janine Bryan

Miracles of Hepatoblastoma

In this section are stories of kids who have battled Hepatoblastoma. The first part is children who are cured of Hepatoblastoma; their stories are clearly miracles. This was last updated May 2003.

1. Brooke: (C4BS@aol.com)

Webpage address is: www.pilink.com/page/brooke/index.htm

Brooke was diagnosed Feb '98 at 13 months w/Afp 500,000. Cancer was found in both lobes of liver and in lungs. She had a liver resection and then had 6 rounds of Cisplatin, Vincristine & 5Fu. When her Afp started to climb, consulted w/expert in Hepato cases and he suggested 4 rounds of Adriamycin & Cisplatin but no response. She also used Amofostine to avoid toxicity. After 2 rounds of Cytoxan & Topecan which did nothing, her doctors said there was nothing else to do and her surgeon refused to operate, saying there were too many mets to remove and gave her no hope.

Mom refused to give up, searched and found a surgeon at Dana Farber who said he would remove the 4-6 tumors in each lung. The first surgery lasted 4 hours and she was in PICU 1 day w/epidural 2 days, stayed 5 days. The surgeon first removed mets from left lung and 11 days later, she received Carboplatin & VP16. 4 weeks later, surgeon removed mets from right lung and her recovery time was 6 days & 4 days of epidural and her Afp fell to 22. She then started back on the Carbo/VP and Afp went from 18.9 to 11.8 and then after another round of chemo it fluctuated between 10.2 and 5.6. The last round it went to 14, 17, 7.9, 10.8, 21.5, and 12. After Brooke completed her 16th round of chemo, she was diagnosed cancer free in November 1999.

2. Madison (www.madisonshope.com). Madison was diagnosed in July 1999 with an Afp 832,000. Cancer was found in both lobes of liver, lungs, right atrium of heart and inferior vena cava. She had 6 rounds of Vincristine, Cisplatin & 5-FU and then liver resection & IVC surgery was done at University of Michigan. After that, many spots were still showing in lungs so had two more rounds of chemo. Then, a right thoracotomy to remove questionable mets in her lungs which turned out to be necrotic. He last chemo was done July 2000 and Afp has been 4 since November 1999.

3. Bernie - (BdBurnstn1@aol.com). His tumor was so large at diagnosis that it was interfering w/breathing and had to have daily chest compressions. He had two rounds of chemo and then surgeon at Vanderbilit removed 3/4 of liver and gave two more rounds. As Afp started to rise, CT showed 5 grape size tumors on left lung. He received 1 round of Cisplatin & 24 hr. Adramycin. A Vanderbilt surgeon v-snipped the tumors and followed w/3 rounds of same chemo. Bernie does wear a hearing aid (due to the Cisplatin) but has been cancer free for 3 years. Update August 24, 20001: Bernie had a one point elevation in Afp & CT showed a shaded spot on his lung. His surgeon looked in a scope and found the area to be a blood vessel but saw a spot hiding in a fold in the lower part of the lung. Evidently, the spot had been hiding there for four years. Praise God the surgeon was able to see this spot and remove it. He is recovering fine.

4. Matthew G.- (Lygoering@juno.com). Dx June 1993 at 18 months. Initially received 6 rounds of Vincristine, 5FU and Cisplatin which put him in remission for two years. When the cancer reoccured in his liver, he received 4 rounds of Adramycin & Carboplatin, 1 round ICE, 5 rounds of Carbo, Adramycin, Alphainterfuron, 5-FU (MD Anderson protocol), 1 chemo-embolism of Cisplatin, Adramycin & Mitomycin C and still the tumor would not go away. At University of Michigan hospital, he was put on transplant list as status 3 candidate and 5 months later, received liver transplant and now cancer free. Update 2002: 5th anniversary for liver transplant, has one hearing aid due to chemo side affects but doing great!

5. Blake - (MKLynn@blomand.com) Diagosed at 17 months at Vanderbilt Hospital. Tumor was in middle of liver and pressed against gall bladder. He had three rounds of chemo & surgeon at Vanderbilt resected 60% of liver. Followed with two more rounds of chemo and cancer free. Update 2002: Now in first grade, just turned seven and last Afp was 2.

6. Callie (TFolke@aol.com). Diagnosed June 2000 w/stage 4 and Afp 1,000,000. Had ten weeks of Carbo, Cisplatin & Amophostine. Liver resection was done and surgery on lungs to remove lesions which brought Afp to 39. After lung surgery, stem cells were harvested and was admitted for high dose chemo of Carbo, Cytoxan & Mesna then Cytoxan, Mesna & Melphalan. Then had stem cell transplant and she responded well. This was done at Childrens Hospital in Chicago. She had a total of 4 operations and 2 stem cell ttransplants. Relapsed in 2001 and a CT showed tumor growth near her esophogus but they caught it early and w/treatment she is responding well. Last Afp was 5.

7. Catherine (LDaggi@aol.com). She was diagnosed August 2000, Stage III in both lobes at 15 mos. Had four rounds of Cispl and Adrym but did not respond so placed on transplant list in November and received one in December. Followed with 3 rounds Cispl, VIn and 5FU. See her webpage at www.caringbridge.com/page/catherinemarie

Now cancer free and entering preschool in the fall.

8. Kobe (swraper@hiwaay.net) Diagnosed at 15 months when he started having changes in his sleeping and bowel movements. His mom discovered a knot in his stomach below his rib cage and took him to the ER. A doctor diagnosed him as having stool that would not move and sent him home. They got another opinion who said something was growing on his liver and they took him to the pediatrician who ran a CT and showed a mass on his liver. The next day they went to Children's hospital in Birmingham, Al and met their surgeon. Two days later he was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, stage III with Afp of 140,000. The pathology report showed he had small undifferentiated cells which gave the poorest prognosis. They received other opinions from Childrens Hosp in UCLA & St. Judes. After 3 rounds of chemo, the CT showed he was ready for surgery. On day one he was given Cisplat, 5-FU & Vincristine. 2nd & 3rd week he was given Vincristine again and this was repeated again. On June 3, 2000 he had 30% of his liver removed with clear margins. His Afp fell to 14 and went through two more rounds of chemo. Has been having clean check-ups for a year now.

9. Max - (QSS@Tasma.net). Dx @ 11 mo. in July 2000 w/Apf in millions. After 9 rounds of chemo, MRI showed tumor too close to blood vessels so waited on transplant donor. In October, one came available but his counts were too low so went back on waiting list. Afp climbed from 250 to 400 so did another round of chemo and waited. In March 2001, donor came available and Afp was 700. While in surgery, it was determined he did not need the transplant and a resection was done. Discharged 3 weeks postsurgery w/Afp of ten and last scan was clear.

10. Julie (lnunn@ingr.com) Julie was dx 7/7/01 at 9 months w/Afp of 280,000. She had four rounds of cisplatin, vincristine & 5-FU and then had surgery. Her treatment was in Birmingham, AL at Children's Hospital (there also with Kobe/see his story as well). They also participated in a clinical trial to use Amofostine for rounds 1-4 of the chemo and lost her appetite while on chemo. She had a liver trisegmentectomny with stand-by transplant team in November 2000 and had 80% of her liver removed. Afp dipped to 34 then back up to 80. She had two more rounds of chemo in Jan 2001 bringing Afp to 7. She does have significant high-frequency hearing loss and latest Afp was 1.9 at 25 months. Her doctors says she is still a high-risk because the pathologist report on resection indicated microscopic areas with live cancer however they followed up with same chemo and 2/02 her Afp was 2.9 and her port was removed. Last Afp 1.4

11. Mark (chris.galanti@juno.com). Mark was dx November 2000. After four rounds of Cisp/Vin/5FU, resection of right liver lobe was successful with clear margins even though pathology reports showed resected liver was still 30% viable. They switched to Cispl/Adriamycin with new heart protective drug (Zinecard) given 1/2 hr. before chemo. Scan in November 2001 was clear and Apf of 3.0; repeated May 2002 and Afp was 3.1- cancer free!

12. Don (pandamomx3@directvinternet.com). Dx Feb. 1991 at four months old. Her husband had just been sent to Desert storm when her son was sent to Children's Hospital in Birmingham for a Ct which showed the mass. Had resection for removal of left lobe and had six months of Cisplatin, vincristine & 5-FU and never relapsed. He was dx w/Aspergers Syndrome but they do not believe it is related. Is now cancer free.

13. Ian (loghomes@pacifier.com). Dx stage 4, afp 156,000 in October 2000 by pediatrician during wellvisit. Survival was given less than 10% because of widespread disease across both liver lobes and in lungs. After chemo, afp was 27 and had resection w/2 more chemo rounds and in remission by May 2001. Last apf 4/02 was 4.

14. Aaron - (ellyjones@hotmail.com). Lives in Canada, diagnosed June 2000, stage 4 w/metasis in lungs and Afp 480,000. Had 4 rounds of Cisplatin & Adramycin which brought Afp to 50 and then liver resection brought Afp to 12. However, in November 2000 a CT found lesions in lungs which were resected and as Afp started increasing, CT showed spot had reoccured in same place. They collapsed his lung to do another resection. Afp went up again post-surgery & was 112 in February but nothing showed on CT. Has had seven cycles of Irenotican; two for 2 weeks(Afp fell to 44) and the third time Cyclo was added and Irin dosage cut in half & given over one week (Afp 36). In August Afp up to 72 so started high dose Carbo on day 1 and Cisplatin day 15 but Afp went to 318. A CT done showed nothing. They tried Topetican & Cyclophosfimide in November 2001 but Afp rose to 470. CT in December showed lesions in lung so did Topetican and Cyclo but Afp up to 604 so had surgery in January 2002 and Afp fell to 173 and the pathology report showed good margins. 2/7 - Ct clear & Afp 17. 2/14 - Afp 9! Praise God!!

15. Arianna - see her webpage at www.ariannashope.org and click on r/w/b flag for english version. Dx stage 4 w/mets to lungs in March 2000 and last Afp 2.5 in 2002.

16. Hallie (makingcopy@hotmail.com). Dx at 18 months in 1994 with Afp 1,042,000. After chemo and surgery, cancer in remission but returned in 2/96. She then received her daddy's left lobe during a living-related donor transplant and today is a healthy 9 year old doing great!

17. Andrew (RERLCR@aol.com) Dx Nov 1999 at 3 with Afp of 488,000. Tumor was too large for resection so tried Cisplatin but hardly any shrinkage. Tried resection again, still too large. Had transplant in April 2000 & found cancer cells in abdomen, thought to been cells shredded off from transplant. Then had intraperitoneal chemo & went into liver failure probably secondary to chemo. Emergency surgery & used mom's liver for donor. Had several complications & bilirubin of 68. Underwent 30 surgeries from then on (transplant, removal of part of colon, bile duct reconstruction, lungs, stint placements, colostomy & take down of colostomy just to name a few). Family stayed in Pennsylvania & Delaware for 5 months & got to come home when Afp was 1.7. Gradually began going up and saw several lesions on lungs. Started Carbo & VP16 (126/66) which gave 75% shrinkage first time & 50% the second. Added Irinotecan which did not do anything but stabilized Afp for 2 weeks & then it started rising again. Started Carbo & Vp 16 again (200/116 dosage) and Afp dropped to 84. In August, Delaware surgeon reviewed scans and said surgery was not an option since new lesions occured in left lung and the whole lung would have to be removed and he would require oxygen and ventilation. Parent sought a 2nd opinion from Emory; surgeon removed all lesions from left lobe on 9/4 which tested benign. At end of September, his Afp was 128, he had surgery on other lung and three lesions tested positive for Hepatoblastoma; Afp fell to 56. December 2001 had surgery at Emory to remove nodule on upper left lung. In January 2002 started radiation at Emory; a low dose was done for 7 days on entire lung (which can be done once) and 4 days localizing areas where tumors were removed or areas suspicious of mets with higher-dose. Done for 2 minutes 2Xday w/6 hours in between doses. Afp 100 but scans clear so received FDA approval for Afp scan at Immunomedics in NJ to find source of elevated Afp. Scan showed spot in lung; had surgery in July to remove spot and by August Afp was 8. Repeated Afps weekly and in January 2003, Afp up to 44. Did series of scans, found two lesions on brain (one on frontal left and one on cerebellum). Because there were small, they used stereostatic radiation (at Emory) to radiate these lesions and not surgery. Last Afp was still 74 and went up to 118 in mid-May 2003. Looking into using Isotopes or chemo to rid the micro disease that is lingering somewhere in his body. Continue to pray!

18. Jason (story submitted by Grandmother Sharon at PINCKNEYK@aol.com) On July 29, 2001 at 16 months, Jason's uncle felt a knot in his side so his mom took him to the pediatrician's office who confirmed a liver mass and sent them directly to MUSC- Charleston, SC. On 8/01 they were told the mass was malignant, Stage IV, his lungs were clear but the liver tumor was grapefruit size and had grown out a branch through the diaphragm and grew into right atrium of heart. On 9/02 he started chemo (Cisplatin, Vincristine & 5-FU). Had a 12-hour surgery in January 2002 to remove 3/4 of liver and cells near atrium; Afp fell to 959. March was 20 and today is 4.5!

19. Kasey (Hollyann27@yahoo.com)- Lives in Wichita. Diagnosed December 2001, age 4, Afp 24,000, Stage I. CT showed a 8 cm growth. She started receiving Cisplatin (4 hr)every 3 weeks and Vincristine & 5-FU push once a week in January 2002 and Afp fell to 274. April was 150 and by September 2002 was 1.5. Great news!

THOSE WHO FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT:

20. Zack (Grandmother Beth's email address is Bethcountry54@aol.com) Zack was dx 2-8-02. His mother noticed a lump and a Ct at a Chicago hospital confirmed left lobe was 90% tumor w/3-4 masses on other lobe and his lungs had 12-14 tumors. He is stage 4 and Afp 2,300,000. Started protocol of Amofostine, Cisplatin, 5-FU & Vincristine & Afp fell to 1,500,000 and after second was 400,000 but Afp started rising and has lesions on lungs and spleen. In August 2002, doctors gave him less than three months so family took trip to Disney World. Zack passed away October 2002.

This page dedicated to those children I knew who passed away from Hepatoblastoma: Leticia, Jessica, Forrest, Zack, and my precious Matthew who I never thought would be one of those on this list.

In Closing I'd like to thank some very special people:

1. God - for carrying us through this rough sea

2. My mom for always being ready to help out and to my dad for always being ready to bring her.

3. My sister- for your prayers and faith and leading me to Johns Hopkins.

4. The Temples- you have helped in so many ways we can not name them all.

5. First Baptist Church, Columbia. You have prayed for us and stood beside us and we love you.

6. Mary Ellen - for our girls night outs and taking me away from it all if only for a few hours.

7. Nelson -who encouraged me to start this webpage.

8. Marleta - for your prayers,love and tears.

9. Colleen, Linda,Kelley and all the other parents of Hepatoblastoma who have encouraged me to never give up the battle. For Luke's words of wisdom: Never give up...no matter what the battle becomes.

10. My husband - for giving me the best son I could ever ask for. For your patience, faith, hope and support.

11. Rene - for dropping whatever you were doing and being there for us no matter what.

12. Alton- for your prayers and support and reminding me that God is good all the time.

13. Dr. Ron - for putting up with me and giving our son a chance.

14. Anne - for loving Matthew and putting up with me and all my requests.

15. Dr. Reddy - for never giving up on Matthew, investing so much time into him and wanting him to live as much as we did.

16. Dr. Paul - for being optimistic when no one else was.

17. Aunt Mary Nell- for loving Matthew, for being you and for the love you have for these kids.

18. Lyssa- for teaching my son to love art, for your smile and contagious laugh.

19. Melanie in Child Life - for listening to me ramble on about my headaches.

20. Susan in CT - for your tears, your love and helping us out with Matthew.

21. Michelle - for being there for me during the hardest time of your life.

22. Michael - for ministering to me in music and reminding me, "not much longer".

23. LMCC - for holding my job for me and believing in me.

24. Graham- for being the best friend a buddy could have.

25. Uncle Tommy - for wrestling and never expecting a full-course meal when you came to our house.

26. Mrs. Mellon, Mrs. Horne & Mrs. King and everyone else at Union UMC Preschool - for your love, patience and never giving up on my son.

27. Worleys, Davis, Koons, McFies, Youngs and everyone else who supported the Bryan Cancer Fund.

28. For Al at CIU for teaching me so much I would need to know to cope with the last two years of my life.

29. Aunt Jessie - for always being there and for vanilla ice cream cones.

30. Kevin & Laurie - for always praying specifically for us

31. Mr. Hatch - for blessing my life while you were here on earth and teaching me..."In all they ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths".

For all the nurses, doctors and staff at the Childrens Cancer Center, thank you for helping to make our journey more tolerable. This webpage dedicated in loving memory of Jessica, Leticia, Forrest, Ava, Zack, and of course, our sunshine and super-hero, Matthew Bryan who is in heaven now with these other children. I hope you will "meet us there".