Grace is a determined, feisty, resilient, strong, funny, thoughtful, imaginative, 10 year old girl. Grace is a joy.
She loves her big sister, Fiona, animals of every shape - especially dogs and horses and gorillas and pandas and snakes, getting her hands dirty, dressing up, and all things WICKED. Grace loves listening to stories - Harry Potter, Narnia, Nancy Drew, and, most recently, Scream Street.
She is now in 3rd grade. When she grows up, she wants to go to Brown University (where her Daddy works) and then be, among other things, a firefighter, a veterinarian, a hair stylist, and a mom.
Grace was born 14 weeks early and weighed just 2 pounds. After a rough first few months, we hoped our medical troubles were behind us. Then, at age 5, and just a few weeks into kindergarten, Grace was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. After surgery, highest intensity proton beam radiation with chemo, 6 months of inpatient chemo and 6 more months of chemo at home, Grace is now off treatment with N.E.D. Her red hair is growing back . The sparkle has returned to her eyes and the pink to her cheeks.
September 2012 will mark the 5 year anniversary of Grace's diagnosis. What a painful journey - of needles and nausea, hair loss and pills, loneliness and fear. Considering all that she has been through, Grace is doing really well. She struggles with the emotional, physical and neurological side effects of cancer and treatment and continues to have MRIs every 3 months. Throughout her experience with cancer, she has maintained a positive outlook. She says that I (her mom) am "not half full"... I'm "all the way full". But I think I've learned that, and many other things, from her.
Grace helped me to be brave when I shaved my head with 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave in September 2010 and appeared on SU2C. And Grace thoroughly enjoyed finger painting my big, bald head as soon as it became available.
In September 2011, Grace and her sister Fiona shaved my head themselves on a stage in Union Station, DC. They then visited their congressional leaders on Capitol Hill as enthusiastic advocates for pediatric cancer legislation.
Our family is looking forward to going back to LA for the next 46 Mommas Shave in July 2012.
As of January 2012, Grace is a full 3 years past treatment.
For more information, visit: www.caringbridge.org/visit/gracecarey.
We appreciate your support.
