Super CC: Strong and Brave
Our family’s childhood cancer journey
Written by Emily Powell, CC’s Mom
Our daughter CC was normally a bubbly, vivacious child, but when she was diagnosed with B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in October 2016, she was so sick that she made no effort to even leave her hospital bed. She was just two years and nine months old at the time.
When we received the news, we were devastated, but as parents with military backgrounds, we approached it as we would any other critical mission. What other option was there but to become expert caregivers and advocates on behalf of our sweet child? We tackled treatment one day at a time, with the support of our extended family and friends.
The treatment for ALL was absolutely heartbreaking to watch and utterly exhausting to endure. CC’s very young age (too young to reason with) and strong spirit made her a feisty patient. She fought against every single treatment that delivered the “poison” that made her so sick while saving her life. Although her chemotherapy just ended, the worry remains. We worry about relapse and the late effects of the chemotherapy.
CC is five years old now. She’s a very kind and loving child who enjoys dancing, singing, making people laugh and giving big hugs. She has a huge heart for others and is happiest when the people around her are happy. She never ceases to amaze us with her spirited response to challenges. She truly brings light and love to every situation!
Childhood cancer is not personal until your own child is diagnosed. I wish the general public understood that it is not as rare as they think it is; that treatment is longer and harsher than they think it is; and that childhood cancer survivors often experience negative effects from the treatment later in life. We count ourselves extremely fortunate that CC is in remission now and doing well, but our lives are forever changed by this experience.
As a family, we are taking action to rid the world of childhood cancer. CC, her big sister Reagan, our friends, family and community participate in our local CureSearch Walk with our team, Super CC. Together, we raise funds and strive to make a difference for other families battling this horrible disease.
CureSearch shares our passion for funding more research to cure childhood cancer, and relentlessly pursuing better, less toxic treatments for our precious children, and they give families a voice to share our stories and advocate on behalf of our children so we can make a difference in the future of childhood cancer.
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Find Team Super CC on Facebook, and learn more about CureSearch Walks and other events at curesearch.org.