CALEDONIA, Mich.- For most families, the Christmas tree comes down after the first of the year, but Kelli and Brandon Greer?s will most likely stay up all year.
?I went to go take the Christmas tree down, the day after New Years, and I just looked at Brandon ?and said I can?t do it and he said don?t worry about it, you don?t have to do it.,? Kelli said.
The Greer?s fear this past Christmas will be their last with beautiful 19 month-old daughter Abigail who has a rare brain cancer called Ependymoma, which they have fought off once before. It was discovered on her 10 month birthday.
?The previous seven days she had been vomiting, throwing up, very tired and we had taken her to her pediatrician twice, and they had told us it was just a virus, she has the flu, we have to let it pass.? Brandon explained. Abby?s blood work, even came back fine.
After waking from a nap, Abby was lethargic and couldn?t keep her head up, so they Greers headed to the emergency room. One of the doctors at Helen DeVos felt the front part of Abby?s head, where her soft spot was, and noticed that it was a little puffy. They followed the doctor?s advice and underwent a CAT scan.
?To this day, an image I will never forget, when you look out the glass door of like the patients room, there?s a glass door, like where the doctors gather; we saw the huddle of doctors, and I knew, there was a problem.? Brandon said sadly.
The attendant told Kelli and Brandon, that it was cancer along with fluid on the brain, which would require her to be put into a coma so a stent could be inserted to drain it.
?That night we kissed her, and I promised her that I would never leave her.? a tearful Brandon said.
Three days later, Abby underwent a nearly 13 hour surgery to remove the mast, which was located at the base of her neck, near her brain stem. For 29 days, while Abby recovered, mommy and daddy never left their daughter, sleeping at the hospital. On April 26, little Abby was able to come home, cancer free. She started 30 rounds of radiation in May. Abby would have to undergo an MRI, quite regularly, to make sure the cancer did not come back.
?There was high hopes, because he got the whole tumor. But it?s one of those cancers that comes back regularly.? Brandon explained. Her MRIs in July and September came back perfect.
?I wanted Abby to be a sibling. I wanted Abby to be a big sister. I still want Abby to be a big sister. We found out, God?s blessing, we found out that we were pregnant in the beginning of November.? Brandon said.
With the good news, came the horrible, during Abby?s December 6th MRI.
?They told me her cancer had come back and that it was in her spine and her brain and I just cried and said no, no.? Kelli stated.
There were spots on different parts of her brain and now on her spine. Surgery was no longer an option; therefore, it is fatal. Abby is now undergoing another 25 rounds of radiation, with Thursday, Jan. 10th marking number 17. With a newborn on the way, doctors could not assure Kelli and Brandon what an oral form of chemo therapy would do to the baby.
?They are saying that they are hoping that the radiation that she?s going through now, will buy us a couple of more months.? Brandon said.
Brandon and Kelli have taken leaves from their jobs to spend every moment they can with Abby. A spaghetti dinner benefit has been set up for them. The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on March 2, 2013 at Pietro?s Italian Restaurant in Grand Rapids.
If you would like to reach out to the family and keep updated on Abby, you can do so at www.carepages.com/abbygreer. You can also email them at brandon16789@yahoo.com or kelligreer@yahoo.com.
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Source: http://fox17online.com/2013/01/10/toddler-fighting-fatal-brain-cancer-family-hopeful/
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