Ava’s Story

Ava was diagnosed with  B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on March 27, 2017. She underwent 800 days of chemotherapy and treatment and finished treatment on June 5, 2019. She has remained cancer free. 

Ava was an active, happy, healthy 4-year-old little girl! She loved going to dance class, taking swim lessons, and going to preschool every day. That was until January 2017 when one day she began complaining of back pain. Within a week, Ava was no longer able to walk, stand or even sit up most times due to the severe pain in her back. It took nearly 12 weeks to get answers and a diagnosis for Ava. On March 28, 2017, she began chemotherapy treatment.

She finished treatment 800 days later (woohoo!!), however, that treatment came with some horrendous short-term, and long-term, side effects. Since Ava finished treatment in 2019, she has struggled with neuropathy due to nerve damage from the chemotherapy, as well as severe dental issues. To add to the list, she is also now at a 2/3 higher risk of developing breast cancer and other secondary cancers due to the toxic and outdated treatment she received. The treatment plan she was on, is the same treatment plan they have been using for over 25 years. There have been no advances made for standard Pediatric Leukemia protocols, and it is extremely poisonous for children. Childhood cancer research is devastatingly underfunded, and because of this, children have to fight battles for their lives that no child should fight. We must do better because they deserve so much better.

The state of Nebraska is deeply affected by childhood cancer. Nebraska ranks in the top 25% highest pediatric cancer incidence rates in the US, 6th in mortality rates and every 4 days a child living in Nebraska will be diagnosed with cancer. We believe a simple improvement in the treatment provided can drastically improve the statistics above.