Celebrating One Year of Miracles!

Meet Miss Elise- she has been Joey's classmate at Shepherd of the Valley Preschool since they were 3 years old....this year, they are in half-day kindergarten together. Elise has a twin, Evan and Evan and Joey are buddies. Here's a little background on Elise - in her mom's words:

On March 29, 2010, 4 1/2-year-old Elise started complaining of an upset tummy and soon after started having dizzy spells complete with loss of balance & eye rolling. We took her to the ER at Mercy in Des Moines & after a CT & MRI it was determined that she had a large mass on her brain. After a trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, we were told that Elise had a DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), a very aggressive malignant brainstem tumor. Because the tumor is located in the brainstem, removing it was not an option & with the most aggressive Radiation & Chemotherapies available we were told that there was a greater than 80% chance that Elise would die within 6-18 months. We choose to take Elise to Memphis, TN, and on April 28th the pediatric neurosurgeons at LeBonheur Children's Hospital were able to get a small biopsy of Elise's tumor. The pathologist determined that Elise's tumor, while still malignant, is a slower-growing, Grade II glioma. We decided to pursue Radiation Therapy at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis & from May 23-July 16th Elise & I lived at the Ronald McDonald House while she received her treatment as an outpatient.

Since finishing her Radiation Treatments Elise has taught us all what 'living in the moment' is truly about! Elise continues to feel good, to play hard, to love life & it is our hope that her tumor will continue to shrink and that we'll have Elise with us forever. Our journey has taught us much about our FAITH in our Ever-present God, about the power of prayer, about HOPE, & about the LOVE, awesomeness & generosity of others. We ask for your continued prayers in the hope that Elise will be completely healed from her brain cancer & that in your own lives you 'treat every moment like it's the only moment that matters!'

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On March 29, 2011 - Elise celebrated a big milestone - the one year mark since her diagnosis. I wanted to celebrate this milestone with the kindergarten class, so with the help of another kindergarten mom, we threw a surprise celebration for Evan, Elise and Wendy.

We had subs, chips, cake and balloons at Backyard Adventures in Des Moines. The kids all got to play, and us moms talked! It was so fun watching the kids surprise Elise- they were so happy to be there - even if they didn't all "grasp" what the celebration was for. Joey knows that Elise has a "boo boo" on her brain, and he does know that it may never go away. He knows when she has to go to St. Jude's, and he knows we have to pray for her every night and ask God for a cure. The kindergarten teacher and Elise's mom have been wonderful, helping us all learn how to explain this sad situation to a five year old.

We released balloons with tags asking people to visit her Caring Bridge website, and to Hope, Wish and Pray....something we can all do!

Their journey has pulled my heart out of my chest several times along the way, has made me appreciate the good health of my boys so many times. Often times, I find myself running around the house trying to do 10 things at once and I'll look over and see Joey and Maddox playing by themselves, and I am reminded to stop and slow down for a bit. Or, I will complain about not having enough hours in the day to run errands, do laundry, help the kids with their schoolwork...and then I remember that I don't have to fit in a trip to St. Jude's with a sick child, and two more at home. When I pick up Joey from school and see Elise walking happily with her bookbag smiling every step of the way, I know how precious life is....and how God has given us His children for such a short time.

It was a fun day, a day that we weren't sure we'd get to celebrate with Elise. Here's a little post from Elise's mom about the day....

It was so great seeing all of the kids playing together, having a chance to visit with the other moms, just enjoying life & KNOWING that no matter what, Elise is doing great RIGHT NOW, today, & we have the most amazing, supportive friends ALWAYS. I didn't have a clue that this was going to happen, didn't expect anything like this & I find myself at a loss for words to how much this really meant to me. To know that Elise is loved SO MUCH, to know that everyone is in this fight with us, is definitely what has kept us going. How can I not feel so blessed, so grateful...1 year after Elise was given just 6-18 months to live, she is doing GREAT & God continues to bless us with peace, faith, & amazing people in our lives that just keep showing their love. Elise is definitely God's child & He is sharing her with so many people as she shows us what it is to be innocent & full of grace, courage, & faith.

On the way home Elise & Evan were talking non-stop about the party & all of their friends, about how surprised they were & how exciting it all was. As we were pulling into the driveway I said, 'That was such a fun day!' & Elise said, 'Yup. THAT was the BEST day EVER!'

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It was all worth it! I believe in miracles and I believe in the power of prayer - please keep Elise in yours.