As parents, we always hope for the best for our children. Happy, healthy lives full of joy, laughter, and love. So imagine the devastation when a mother and father found out their darling 15 month old daughter was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the liver. ONE IN A MILLION children are diagnosed every year.
Aria's Mom shares her story:
"Aria began facing serious health issues the summer of 2016, at 10 months old, as she was not gaining weight and refusing to eat solid foods. We worked with our family doctor, paediatrician, occupational therapists, dietitians and an allergist to try determine the cause. She was diagnosed as "Failure to Thrive" on November 7, 2016 by a paediatric GI specialist, in addition to discovering that her liver was enlarged. She was scheduled for priority blood work and an ultrasound the next morning. The ultrasound showed a large solid mass...that afternoon was a blur of phone calls from the ACH. The head of Oncology took Aria's case and on November 9, 2016, just a couple days shy of turning 15 months old, Aria was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hepatoblastoma (liver cancer).
At the time of diagnosis, the tumour measured 10cm x 8cm x 9cm and was deemed inoperable. It took up the whole right side of her liver and part of the left. Aria underwent 4 rounds of chemo November 2016 - February 2017. On March 1, 2017, Aria had an 8 hour surgery that removed 70% of her liver, the tumour and lymph nodes. She spent 3 days in the PICU and a total of 12 days in the hospital recovering from surgery. This was then followed up by 2 more post-op rounds of chemo March 2017 - May 2017."
On August 21, a Facebook friend of mine posted some images celebrating "Aria's Remission Party", which immediately grabbed my attention and had my heart fluttering with joy at hearing such wonderful news, even if it was of a stranger. I immediately told myself that I had to meet this brave little fighter and do something to capture this amazing time in her life, as well as her parents. So I reached out, and not long after I received a response from Aria's mom, bursting with excitement as I offered her a session to celebrate and commemorate Aria for her bravery and perseverance.
"Aria was declared in remission May 31, 2017 and has been doing great this summer. We just celebrated her second birthday! It has been a whirlwind, unimaginable journey to walk since Aria's diagnosis. There were days when I didn't know how we would get through but we did. It was 4 surgeries, 44 doses of chemo, 40 days in the hospital, 18 Clinic Visits, 136+ Dressing Changes, 62 Needles/Pokes, 7 Blood Transfusions, 4 CT Scans, 7 Hearing Tests, 6 Echocardiograms, 3 EKGs, 8 Ultrasounds, 1 Chest X-Ray, 3 Catheters, 1 Chest Tube and 8 NG Tube changes."
How incredible is it, that a child of such a young age, who hardly knows to speak, endures a disease and the medical treatments that many do not survive. Even as I sit here and write this, my eyes are filling with tears. I simply can not image the fear, pain, and tears that Aria's parents felt as their precious baby girl endured unimaginable pain as she underwent chemo treatments and recovered some several major surgeries, apart from the pain caused by the cancer itself. It absolutely blows. My. Mind.
"Aria has the sweetest soul and most hopeful smile. She is a cancer survivor and superhero fighter. She has been the definition of joy, hope, happiness and resilience despite the greatest of challenges. She is our one in a million hero!"
I am absolutely honoured to have been able to do this for Aria and her family, and the joy and happiness on their faces as we played and enjoyed the moments will forever hold a place in my heart and forever remind me to hold my loved ones close and to never take something as precious as life itself for granted. I am left thankful for the health of my children, and I am overjoyed to know that Aria's story of cancer will only be a chapter of her life, and not the whole tale.
Aria, you are SO brave. You are beautiful, I am so happy I was able to meet you and see you play and run in the field. I know just a short while ago it was not so for you. And the fact that the day I met you, you were laughing, playing, and living your life just brings me such joy and calls to purpose the wonderful gift I am able to deliver to families like your Mom and Dad, and you. YOU ARE SO LOVED. You are so strong. YOU. ARE. SO. AMAZING.
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