I'm donating 8 inches of hair to raise money for childhood cancer research!
In 2005-2006, I spent a year at a college in Pennsylvania. While I later transferred out to a school that was a better fit for me, I had many wonderful experiences. In the first week, I decided to join the college tv station as a volunteer to meet new people. One of those people was Amie. We remained friends on social media. Over the past few years I was able to virtually follow her family as she married Andy and welcomed their two children.
This past year Amie and Andy lost their 4 year old daughter Madeline after her battle with a brain tumor. Since their loss, I have seen Amie put forth much love and effort to support other families who are going through a similar nightmare. When signing up for St Baldricks this year, I immediately thought of Madeline and reached out to Amie, asking her to share Madeline’s story as the child I dedicate my page to. Below is Madeline’s story, as shared by Amie.
For three years and 11 months, Madeline Marzen was a “medically boring” child, healthy and active. She was happy, bright, creative and silly. Just before her third birthday, she got her biggest wish ever- to become a big sister. She loved going to preschool, dancing ballet and tap, tumbling, doing crafts, singing loudly and most of all, playing with her favorite person, her brother Benny. She loved splashing in muddy puddles, playing dress-up, and drawing her family in pictures over and over. She loved Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the color red, her friends, going to the library, and snuggling. She rarely got in trouble, and usually it was for kissing her brother awake while he tried to take a nap.
Just before her 4th birthday, Madeline was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. The brain tumor was located on her brain stem, so due to the location, it was inoperable. She fought hard to beat the odds stacked against her, but quickly lost the ability to do all of the things she loved to do. She woke one morning and told her mom not to worry, that together, they would show the world they were “champions”, she never gave up hope that she would get better and worked hard at her therapies to regain her abilities. One thing cancer could never could take away from her was the ability to show her love for her family- even when it became hard to speak, she still managed to get out the words “I love you” and a smile. In two short months, her cancer battle ended when she passed away suddenly in her sleep at home at the age of four, October 19th, 2017. She had planned to be Cinderella for Halloween and wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, and a mommy. Cancer may have taken away those dreams, but with your support we can work toward a cure for cancer so that Madeline, and those like her, can truly be champions for future generations.
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