Important Update On Annabelle:
Following a couple weeks of increasing (and scary!) symptoms, Annabelle had several PET scans over the past two days to assess her response to treatment and measure any tumor activity. We just reviewed the results of those scans with the doctors, and they gave us some absolutely incredible news.
Here it is: The tumor that was in Annabelle’s pons is no longer visible on any scan, and there is ZERO tumor activity anywhere in her brain. Because of... some residual inflammation, they are not able to say for certain that there is no evidence of disease (NED), but they did say that this is the “most perfect report they have seen.”
This is the best possible news we could ever hope for. Right now, we’re just flooded with emotions, especially gratitude for Annabelle’s life. We’ve prayed for years that our child would be saved, and we’ve looked into every treatment option out there, and we finally found one that’s working. I can hardly believe it as I write it: IT’S WORKING!!!
This would never have been possible without the generous, abundant, heart-felt donations we’ve received. There are no adequate words to express the depth of our gratitude to each and every one of you who’ve helped save Annabelle’s life. It’s because of you that she’s here with us today.
And now that the scans have confirmed that Annabelle’s tumor is responding to treatment as we hoped, we can finally travel home together as a family. This is a huge blessing to be able to go back to Australia, but it also means that we’ll have to return to Mexico about every 6-7 weeks for treatment. We know that Annabelle’s tumor could grow back at any time, so we will always have to stay ahead of it.
So what about the scary symptoms? The PET scans also helped determine the cause of those. Annabelle has some hypoxia (low oxygen) and inflammation in the region surrounding the previous location of the tumor, which are likely causing her balance problems and headaches. She also has an infection in her nasal passages that could be contributing to her symptoms. Both of these issues are treatable, and we are already planning how to address them with her doctors.
Now the reality sets in. We know for certain that this treatment is saving Annabelle’s life. But it is expensive, and we are out of funds. Please, please find it in your heart to help her in any way you can. We would never beg for ourselves, but we are begging for our daughter. We chased this treatment to the other side of the world, and Annabelle has to continue it, especially now that we know it’s saving her. Stopping now would mean certain death, and we cannot let our child die.
Annabelle told me not too long ago that she had a dream of petting the sheep back home. I want so badly to help her dreams come true. I gave her the gift of life once, and now you’re all helping me to give her life again.
Please share this post with everyone you know. You can share it every day. And donate if you’re able. Every bit helps. Truly, no donation is too small.
Thank you all for loving our Annabelle!!
Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/fighting-dipg-with-annabelle
PayPal: http://paypal.me/sandyng84
