Charlie Stenson is a beautiful, fun-loving little girl. She adores her little sister, Annie, and baby brother, Cal. Her favorite activities are dancing, swimming, singing, and any art project. She’s also pretty fast in a running race.
Around the age of two, Charlie started having bowel and bladder issues. Despite numerous trips to the emergency room, Charlie was always sent home with the diagnosis of constipation. We have since learned that Charlie is in the 10% of people with a solid tumor who have no tumor markers show up on a blood test, contributing to her long mis-diagnosis. Two months after her 3rd birthday, Charlie was again taken to the emergency room with a fever, severe discomfort, and constipation. She was transferred to Mary Bridge Children’s hospital by ambulance and diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. They had found an abdominal tumor that was over 5 inches big. She and her family were immediately thrown into a world of doctors, medicine, and community support. In the coming weeks, she had biopsy surgery and a port placed. She was diagnosed with mixed germ cell cancer that had spread to her liver.
Charlie’s cancer started as a Sacrococcygeal Teratoma, a usually benign tumor that forms on a fetus’ tailbone in utero. This was missed on ultrasounds in utero and when Charlie was frequently seen in the emergency room. When left, SCTs can turn cancerous, as was Charlie’s case.
Charlie began chemotherapy and smiled through each hospital admission. She would often be found on her little pink tricycle, making up races with her nurses.
After almost 18 months of treatment, 9 rounds of chemotherapy and many surgeries, Charlie showed no evidence of disease in January 2024.
Unfortunately in August of 2024 at her routine scans, the family found out Charlie's cancer had returned and she needed additional surgery and chemotherapy. Charlie fought cancer for a second time with a smile. Charlie finished this treatment in December 2024 and shows no evidence of disease, again. Charlie and her family are so grateful for another chance at a cancer free life.
Thank you for supporting me and the more than 300,000 kids worldwide who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. By sharing the gifts of your time, talent and money with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, you're supporting research to give all kids with cancer a better chance for a cure.