#RallyKid Adeline's Fundraiser

Rally Kid Adeline's Story

 Adeline “Addie” Claire, our blue-eyed, red-headed, beautiful 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed with stage 3 Intermediate-Risk Neuroblastoma on August 26, 2019. She was just 2 weeks into her kindergarten school year when she developed a low-grade fever, vomiting and severe abdominal pain. After a trip to the Emergency Department, she was feeling a little better and we were sent home with the diagnosis of a stomach bug. A week later, Addie began having the same symptoms again…and something just didn’t feel right (all you moms know that mama intuition). We were sent for an evaluation at Egleston, where Addie was admitted to Aflac Cancer Center and underwent a series of MRI scans, Radiation scans, and surgery for a bone marrow aspiration and tumor biopsy. When we received the cancer diagnosis, we were absolutely devastated. Our innocent world changed in a millisecond. Here we were…faced with our new reality…our sweet and innocent daughter faced with the insurmountable weight of the world on her shoulders. Children have a special way about them. They are innocent, ignorant even, to an extent…they don’t really understand the severity of what is going on. That ignorance is bliss; at least it was for us. Addie is a fighter! We had a motto that we made up just before chemo started, “Fight Like a Red Head” Addie began chemotherapy on September 11, 2019 with the goal to shrink the tumor on her right kidney by 50%. We had several hospital admissions for fever, blood transfusions, rounds of chemo, and surgeries. Biopsy results came back very favorable, meaning that the tumor is very mature and should not increase in size...but it’s still showing cancer. So now, we wait...wait & wait. Every year, we go to the Aflac Survivor’s Clinic to discuss & monitor the long-term effects of chemotherapy. It's hard to believe it's been 6 years since we were faced with this. Addie is now in 6th grade, and avid lover of history (she knows every song lyric from Hamilton), an aspiring cellist, and a wonderful big sister. We couldn’t be prouder. Although Addie was lucky enough to not have to endure a long battle, we don't take that for granted. Our short journey opened our eyes to the world of childhood cancer. It's humbling to know that Rally Foundation supports children and families going through the toughest battles. The Rally Foundation is truly an inspiration, and we extend our utmost gratitude to everyone dedicated to this cause. The Rally Foundation has helped make a difference in the lives of precious children who deserve a cure from this horrible disease so they can live long, healthy lives.

Your donation will contribute to the ongoing efforts to develop better treatments with fewer long-term side effects, and ultimately, find cures for young patients like Adeline. Stand with us in this critical cause and help bring hope to children and families battling cancer.