Our Kids

We help our kids with big dreams and little dreams. Sometimes it’s all about making hospital stays more comfortable and taking care of everyday hassles so that the families can focus on their time together.

Seven-year-old Gracie, diagnosed with brainstem glioma in 2008, asked for Hannah Montana paraphernalia! We also got her Disney princess toys, video games, and art projects to keep her busy, since she isn’t able to leave the house very often.. Care packages of travel items and snack foods also helped make hospital stays and long periods of bed rest easier on the whole family.

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Gracie’s Story

As told by her mother, May Kelly

On March 20,2008, our lives changed forever when we went to Cook Children’s Hospital for what we thought was a “gag reflux” problem. Our GI doctor had scheduled an MRI to search for any dysfunction in my daughter’s throat that would explain why she was vomiting so often. However, as I sat in recovery with my daughter I could sense something was very wrong from the way the staff was whispering and talking about us.

Instead of sending us home to wait for the results I was sent into a room to talk to Dr. Murray, the pediatric neuro-oncologist. I remember him asking me if I knew what an oncologist was and telling me that my daughter had a brain tumor. Everything happened so quickly after that. My daughter was admitted and underwent an operation to remove the tumor. However, that operation was unsuccessful, and we were told that her tumor could not be removed. She was diagnosed with a slow growing brainstem glioma. She was put on a chemotherapy regimen and then radiation. The tumor has remained “stable” on MRI scans.

Through it all Gracie has been strong and brave. Her world has been turned upside down, but she has never complained. She is our hero! At this time, based on her symptoms, her tumor continues to show signs of clinical progression. She continues to vomit, has chronic sore throat, intractable hiccups,some hearing loss in her right ear,and, most recently, numbness in the right side of her face and difficulty walking. We have been told she has received the best standard of treatment and there is not much else that can be done. As her parents we continue to search for our miracle. We are hoping and praying for the day when all of this will be a distant memory!