TEAM MADDIE
Maddie's story: "Maddie is a 9 year old 4th grader who loves life! At the age of 3 on December 26, 2003 we found out Maddie had a brain tumor. This came after months of being ill and after months of doctor visits. Finally on the 26th we ended up in the ER with a very sick little girl and a hospital staff that flew into action. Maddie was sent to Children's in Philly right away where she was started on steriods to stop her brain from swelling and she was set for surgery. Her tumor was the size of an orange and was considered a near total resection meaning all visible tumor was removed. Maddie's tumor type is a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma. To date Maddie has had many MRIs ..."

JB'S BELIEVERS
JB's story: "JB is a 8 year incredible boy who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma in August 2009 and is currently being treated at St. Jude. The summer of 2009, towards the end of the summer and right at the start of 2nd grade, JB started having headaches. They usually occured right before a meal, or in stressful situations, so at first I thought nothing of them-- and just thought it was the stress of a new grade. However, he later started having them at night while asleep. And then one Sunday he took a 2 hour nap -- something he has NOT done since he was 2. Candi and I knew something was wrong and took him to afterhours pediatrics. The doctor could not find anything ..."

FRIENDS OF JED
Jed's story: "Jed was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma on December 27, 2006. He was 2 years old. As a result of the tumor location and surgery, he has suffered from severe posterior fossa syndrome. He had five rounds of chemo in line with the Headstart III protocol. He had a stem cell transplant on June 27, 2007 of his own cells. He has been out of the hospital since July 18, 2007. He continues to work hard at therapy and he remains cancer FREE!!! Our journey continues ..."

TEAM EMMETT
Emmett's story: "Emmett is a lively, strong, two-year old boy who brings light and love to all he encounters ... After three weeks of their son enduring strep throat and an initial diagnosis of pneumonia, with no improvement in the health of their normally active, healthy, 2 year old son, the final diagnosis is Cancer, specifically, Neuroblastoma High Risk – Stage 4. Emmett’s treatment includes aggressive chemotherapy, bone marrow harvest and transplant, radiation and surgery in addition to frequent hospitalizations. James and Angela express the feeling of complete helplessness as their son is subjected to countless procedures, biopsy surgery, the poking, prodding, scans, MRIs, and Chemotherapy treatments ..."

ONE FOR JASMINA
Jasmina's story: "After a restless night caused by Jasmina's swollen, itchy feet, Thea took her to the pediatrician, for what she believed was a simple infection. She would soon find out it was not so simple... On January 20th, Jasmina's pediatrician diagnosed her with Leukemia after doing a blood test in his office. He sent her directly to the hospital, where after many tests including blood work, a bone marrow biopsy and finally a spinal tap, she was diagnosed with Aggressive NK Leukemia. This type of Leukemia is very rare and has been seen in only about 30 cases-ever! Because of this there is no protocol for treatment. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. It is referred to as a liquid ..."

TEAM LILY-BUG
Lily's story: "Lily is 8 months old and is being treated for an optic glioma. We first noticed some abnormal eye movements when she was only 4 months old. She had a couple MRIs done that found a tumor in her brain near the area where the optic nerves cross. Since then, our lives have been a whirlwind of appointments, chemotherapy treatments and driving back and forth from our home in Lansing to Grand Rapids, about 75 miles away. Through all of this, Lily has been such an amazing baby. She is still so happy and loves to laugh and play. We have also had amazing support for our family during this difficult time, something that has helped us to cope with all that our baby is going through. We found out about Team Unite through friends of ours who lost their amazing son to cancer last year."

TEAM ZACH S
Zach's story: "In November of 2006, our five year old son Zach began having random bouts of nausea and vomiting accompanied by an increasing loss of coordination. A CT scan performed 11/14/2006 revealed a posterior fossa brain tumor and resultant hydrocephalus. On 11/16/2006 at Shands UF Dr. Pincus removed Zach’s tumor. The follow-up MRI indicated the surgeon had successfully removed all the tumor tissue. Pathology reports diagnosed Zach with “Classic Medulloblastoma” ... He underwent 30 radiation treatments and nine rounds of Chemo, Physical therapy, Occupational therapy and Speech Therapy. He is now in the 1st Grade at Brookwood School and doing his best to be a normal 8 year old boy. ..."

TEAM KURTIS
Kurtis's story: "We found out that Kurtis had cancer when he was only 10 weeks old. He was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma. He had a large tumor in his chest, and disease in both knees. He underwent two major surgeries and 4 rounds of chemo. After 4 months of treatment, he went NED. He has been NED for two whole years now, and he is doing incredibly well. I have been following Team Unite on Facebook. Kurtis is 2 ½ years old. He is such a fun loving little boy, he laughs, he jumps and he dances all day long. He loves his cars, I think that was his first word, it is still a favorite one. He continues to be a healthy boy, his oncologists are very pleased with his progress and say there is still no sign of cancer returning. Kurtis is still a little bit behind in his speech and development which we knew would happen because of his cancer treatments. He has just started speech therapy and also has a developmental specialist that comes to see him once a month. His favorite things are cars, music, “up” (the movie), “cars” (the movie), bananas, jumping and playing outside. We sure love this little boy!"

TEAM TYLER D
Tyler's story: "I was led here by a friend who is curently going through cancer with her daughter, and doing quite well! My son was diagnosed Jan 2003 with Medulloblastoma which had spread to his spinal fluid and to the coating of his brain. It was very aggressive as most are. He continued through his treatments finishing them in Sept. '03 but took a week break so that we could go home to witness the birth of his baby brother, Brendan. Once completed, he was placed "loosely" in remission. 9 months later they found more cancer, this time calling it leptomeningeal disease. It slowly covered his brain and spine, causing seizures from time to time. Dec. 21 2004, he had a major seizure, making him completely unresponsive, doctors stating he was in a type of coma and wouldn't recover. I prayed for one more Christmas with him, as it was his favorite time of year. God granted me my prayer, he woke on Christmas eve and remained conscious, though not entirely there and unable to speak or walk, until just before he passed on March 7, 2005..."

TEAM BRAVE AND STRONG!
Annika's story: "Annika is a survivor of Burkitt's Lymphoma. On Feb 7, 2009 surgeons began a laproscopic procedure, which became emergency surgery & removed a tumor from her abdomen. It was her dad's birthday...some gift. Prognosis was good however - after the spinal tap, PET scan, and too many pokes, the cancer was identified as Stage 2. She required a short protocol of just 2 courses of chemotherapy, and was able to have a PICC line, instead of a port. Even a little chemo is hard on a body, and Annika lost a lot of weight and all of her hair. But, on May 20, 2009 she had her first N.E.D. scan! Currently 7 months cancer free, Annika's hair is growing back and she is closer to a healthy weight. We are now involved in raising awareness of the need for research specific to pediatric cancer. Thanks to Team Unite for working so tirelessly for the cause! ..."

TEAM IRONMAN SAM
Sam's story: "On December 14, 2007, a bomb hit the Fleming family when 4 year old Sam Fleming was diagnosed with High-Risk Neuroblastoma--a rare form of cancer that occurs in young children. Until Thanksgiving 2007, Sammy was not sick nor did he show any signs of illness. Since that time, Sammy has been in and out of hospitals (more in than out); has received 10 cycles of chemotherapy thus far; a harvest of his bone marrow stem cells for possible transplantation in the future; bone marrow aspirations and biopsies; numerous blood and platelet transfusions; has had a tedious 20-hour operation to remove a very large tumor covering his organs; and has had ..."

TEAM GIANNOTTI
Grace's story: "Grace was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma when she was 22 months old. She had resection surgery, chemo and a stem cell rescue ... in December 2008 a new tumor was found during a check up MRI in a new location. She was diagnosed with recurrent metastasized Medulloblastoma and has under gone Proton radiation and chemotherapy and is currently still on low dose chemo. Grace has a big sister Cecilia who is her biggest supporter!!!"

GUNNER'S MAGIC TRAIN
Gunner's story: "Gunner was born prematurely at 26 weeks and weighed 1 pound and 14 ounces. He began his life fighting. Due to Pediatric Cancer, Gunner's life ended in a fight as well on October 23, 2008. At the age of 8, he was such an inspiration to many in our county where we live to people around the world. As my husband and I researched for treatments and information, we found out just how despairing children's cancer can be. Gunner had a love for Presidents, sharks, boats, dinosaurs, Legos, swimming, and traveling. However, his main love in life was trains. So because of a drawing of a train that Gunner drew in Kindergarten that ended up on a t-shirt for a fundraiser for our family; we began Gunner's Magic Train. Gunner, also known as "G-Man", had a big heart and he often worried about the other children suffering from cancer during his battle. So as Gunner's mother, I don't want his death to be in vain. I dream of making a difference for children with cancer and their families. I dream of a cure. Our children deserve a future - a future free of cancer. I believe that with hope we can do anything, and my hope is for a cure. Let’s go Team Unite...let's get people to take notice and stand up for our children — our future ..."

TEAM VICTORIA
Victoria's story: "Thanks to everyone for being a part of "Team Victorya, Friends United to Win." Victoria is the winner. She received the ultimate healing. She is in Heaven where we all want to go. "Team Victorya, Friends United to Win" has taken on a new meaning. We will unite with you all and pediatric cancer patients/families to help them with their journey. We will volunteer our time and efforts with other organizations and hospitals. Victoria loved to make others smile. What a better way to keep her memory than by making kids smile. Victoria was 9 years old when she was diagnosed on 11/20/2006 with Mixed Diffused Pontine Glioma. She has 2 inoperable brain tumors ..."

TEAM LINDSAY T
Lindsay's story: "Lindsay is a super fiesty red-headed 4 year old who is currently in remission from acute monocytic leukemia (AML). She was diagnosed on August 18, 2008 at the age of 3. Our familly has become involved in St. Baldricks, Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We heard about Team Unite from Sarah Digerolamo - mother of Vinny, who is currently being treated for relapsed rhabdomyosarcoma. We want to spread the word about childhood cancer, and work to continue to improve survival rates!"

GOD'S DIVA
Madison's story: "Hello World...my name is Madison. I am 7 years old and I've been battling a darn brain tumor since I was 2. This is my story..."

TEAM NOAH M
Noah's story: "Noah was diagnosed with AML Leukemia on June 26, 2008 at the age of 4. On Oct. 10, 2008 he had to have a bone marrow transplant. We were very blessed that his 7 year old sister was a perfect match for him. Noah is now cancer free and doing very well! ... He is the sweetest little boy you will ever meet. Noah has blonde hair and blue eyes and the prettiest smile ever. Noah has the personality of someone that when you meet him you can't help but fall in love with him. He loves to play with his brothers and sisters. He has two sisters, Caetlind and Jessica, and three brothers, Preston, Jacob,and Landen. We have been so blessed to have such wonderful ..."

TEAM TAY TAY
Tay's story: "Taylor was diagnosed with Stage IV rhabdomyosarcoma in May of 2004. She went through one year of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments. She was declared cancer free in May 2005. She enjoyed 3 months of life without chemo and hospitals. Her routine scans in August of 2005 showed that the cancer had returned to the original site. Taylor received 10 additional radiation treatments and one round of chemotherapy. She lost her battle on October 15, 2005. Taylor fought this horrific disease for 17 long months. Chemo was hard on her body, and she struggled with almost every imaginable side effect. Through her struggles, she never complained and always managed a smile for those who loved her. She could brighten the room with her smile. She was truly a blessing and an angel here on earth."

TEAM KENZIE
Kenzie's story: "McKenzie has always been known for her chubby face and curly brown hair and big brown eyes, her personality has always been strong and loving. She was so independent that at 4 years old she has always done things on her own. However, on January 20th of 2006 she went to the hospital for a pain in her back and hip and was diagnosed with a mass above her left kidney, duing the following week she underwent a battery of test and lab work to determine the type and stage of the mass. Then on January 26th we were told shortly before her surgery that it was Neuroblastoma and had metastized to the bones in her upper legs. She underwent ..."

EVAN THE WARRIOR
Evan's story: "My name is Evan and I am 10 years old. I live in the Santa Clarita Valley in Southern California, with my Mom, Kimberly (who writes for me) and my brother, Ryan and my pug, Bubba. I have Pre B Cell High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I am a fourth grader at Highlands Elementary School in Saugus, Ca and I am a Cub Scout. Before the diagnosis I was just a normal, fun loving, happy go lucky kid, getting good grades, running around everywhere and generally bugging my older brother as most of us younger kids do. I have a Mighty Mite Black Belt in Hapkido, but I never use it on friends and family. I am a bowler at the Santa Clarita Valley Lanes on ..."

TEAM JIMMY
Jimmy's story: "Jimmy was almost 4 when he was diagnosed in 2003. He did two years of treatment when we found out he had relapesed in his spinal fluid. He started another 2 years of treatment which included radiation, and a long icu visit for pneumonia. In June of 2007 Jimmy finished treatment and had a wonderful 9 months before he relapsed again, in the bone marrrow and testes. We planned on a bone marrow transplant and were in planning when fungus was found to be growing on both lungs. Surgery was performed, and while waiting to heal the leukemia came back once again. We tried 2 more treaments; one had started to work but he had a massive GI bleed and got his beautiful angel wings on 7-23-08."

COURAGEOUS BENTLEY
Bentley's story: "Bentley is an identical twin. He was diagnosed with DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pointine glioma) on July 31, 2008. Bentley's battle was only 3 months and 22 days, but he fought it with faith and courage! Bentley always did his best and kept trying; he never gave up. Even when he was getting so weak and lost most of his abilities, he was still trying his best to communicate with us. Bentley earned his wings on Nov. 22, 2008, a week before Thanksgiving. I will always remembered that Bentley was a loving, cheerful, caring, hardworking and creative boy, who always has a sense of humor. I am always proud to be Bentley's mom ..."

PRINCESS CHLOE
Chloe's story: "My name is Chloe, my family calls me Princess Chloe. I am 6 years old. I have been through quite a bit for a 6 year old. I have been through probably more than some adults. In November of 2006 at the age of 3 I got really sick and my daddy took me to the doctor to find out what was wrong? My doctor ordered a chest x-ray and they found a tumor on my right lung. It was the size of a 11 inch softball. The doctors here in my hometown of Huntington, WV wanted to do a biopsy, but due to the tumor pushing on my airway they sent me to Cincinatti Childrens hospital. On Dec. 1, 2006 I was diagnoses with stage 3 Ganglioneuroblastoma, I started chemo right then, I had 2 ..."

BABYBOBBY
Bobby's story: "My son Bobby Campbell was born with a rare form of leukemia called JMML. At 3 months he underwent his frist round of chemo at 4 months he had his bone marrow transplant. When he was just 5 months he became septic along with full organ failure. Bobby died in my arms shortly after that, he was nicknamed babybobby by the nurses because he was the youngest patient to have a transplant at our hospital and in the state of Georgia. Bobby touched so many people in his short life and I hope he will never be forgotten. Thank you so much for all you are doing for childhood cancer."

TEAM ALEXA
Alexa's story: "Our story starts on Friday, January 23, 2004, as my mom was stuffing the goody bags for my 5th birthday party, which was supposed to be the next day. I fell off the bed in which I was playing and started screaming very loudly. My parents rushed me to our local E.R. After being reassured for three hours by the doctor that it was "just a concussion," they saw a mass on the cat scan that they finally did. I then was airlifted to Children's Hospital Los Angeles in a helicopter. Too bad I wasn't awake for that ride. The next few days were pure torture for my parents. After being told I might not make it through that first night, I was on ice for three days until ..."

TEAM BRYCE
Bryce's story: "March 2, 2009 was a wonderful blessing, that is the day that Bryce came into our lives. Happy, Healthy, a really easy going newborn. Just 25 days later, our world would be turned upside down. Out of nowhere a lump appeared on his shoulder, at first we thought he had dislocated his shoulder some how, after 5 hours of tests in the emergency room, it was decided that it was an "unknown mass" and a surgery date was set. Bryce was officially diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in May. He has proven to be such an inspiration to everyone that meets him. He has taken his chemo, surgeries, tests, everything with a smile and a laugh. Bryce is our hero as he has shown us what really matters... He is Unstoppable!!!"

TEAM NATHAN
Nathan's story: "Nathan has been battling Stage IV Testicular Cancer since May 2008 at the age of 18. He has had four surgeries, has relapsed twice and is on his third set of chemo. He is a wonderful young Christian man and is very determined ... On May 14, 2008, we began a journey that I never imagined we would be taking and it has been a long roller coaster ride full of ups and downs. May 16, 2008 - In ER, Diagnosed with Testicular Cancer (spread to lymph nodes in pelvis, abdomen, chest and neck as well as liver and right lung lobe).  MRI revealed no spread to brain. May 17, 2008 - Surgery to remove primary tumor from right testicle and pelvis area. May 24, 2008 ..."

TEAM MOSLEY
Aaron's story: "Aaron is a 18 year old young man that has been battling cancer for over 4 years. He has battled this awful disease since he was 14 years old, all through high school and now into college.. He NEVER lets it get him down, EVER!!!! He can make you laugh at any time and he can do a mean Forrest Gump impression!! He is the reason we as a family Never Give Up!!! He is truly our Superman!!! I came upon this site when corresponding with Alexa Brown's family! What a brave angel! I would never in a million years dream of someone I know, even someone I LOVE to have something like this, something scary, something so life changing, but it is and has been something ..."

TEAM GREG
Greg's story: "At the age of 3 Gregory was diagnosed with muscle cancer and fought bravely for virtually a year of chemotherapy. Due to the battle with muscle cancer, Gregory, at the young age of 4 was to continue life as a right leg amputee. In the fall of 2005, Gregory’s junior year at Gulf Coast High School, he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. After multiple surgeries and chemotherapy Gregory was pronounced in remission in July 2006. This was a positive time in Gregory’s life because he returned to Gulf Coast High School and joined his fellow seniors. Once he returned to school, his main focus was graduation in May, 2007. In January, 2007 the doctors ..."

TEAM MICHELLE
Michelle's story: "Michelle came into the world on February 2, 2007. She was my third child and a blessing from God. She also came into my life when I was losing my father to cancer. He passed away from colon cancer on March 25, 2007. Even though he was very weak he came to visit me at the hospital and he got to see and hold Michelle. He said his one regret in life would be that he wouldn't get to see her grow up. Now he is able to. Michelle was the happiest, sweetest baby there ever was as well as being beautiful. She hardly ever cried or complained. She was perfect up until her first birthday. Her check up was fine, but her pediatrician said her eye was drooping a little bit. He said it ..."

TEAM CLAIRE BEAR
Claire's story: "Claire's brain tumor was discovered on November 13th 2006. After learning that it was ATRT we received no hope for Claire's survival at our local children's hospital. By the grace of God we found St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Claire was successfully treated there for 6 months. Unfortunately, she had new tumors show up in January 2008. We tried a couple different treatments and since April 2009 Claire has been clear again. Claire will be 5 in December. She loves going to preschool, playing with her 4 siblings and reading books. We feel so blessed that she beat this cancer twice and just pray that it never returns. On Monday November 13th ..."

THE TEDDY BEARS
Olivia's story: "Olivia was 5 yrs old in day care when she started to have headaches that hurt so much they would make her sick. We took her to a doctor who said it should not be happening and scheduled a CAT scan. They immediately found her first brain tumor. Olivia had surgery to remove the tumor, 31 radiation treatments and a 48 week cycle of chemo therapy. After all her treatments were finished, she was granted a Make-A-Wish trip to Walt Disney World, where she had an amazing vacation. Olivia returned to school through 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd grade until a follow up MRI scan found a 2nd tumor. Our family was devastated to learn that her battle ..."

TEAM CARTWRIGHT
Zach's story: "Friends and Family, My hope is that I and other family members can update this regularly on Zach’s progress and diagnoses. The last week in May, Zach was not sleeping or eating well. This went on for a few days before several people noticed his stomach was kind of bulging out more than usual. Jennifer decided to take Zach to the doctor on Monday morning, June 1st to have him checked out. In her mind, he just had an upset stomach or a minor ailment. Dr. Sultemeier, their local pediatrician in Wichita Falls felt they needed to do some x-rays. The x-rays came back showing something unusual. He ordered a CT scan and the results showed a mass. Jennifer was given ..."

MADELAINE'S ANGELLS
Madelaine's story: "On February 20, 2008, Madelaine was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. We first started to notice a thickening along the side of her nose back in November. After several doctor visits we were referred to the Mayo Clinic to an ENT specialist. An MRI was done and a mass could be seen in her left cheek and in her nose. The surgeon felt it should be removed, but at the time they were not concerned that it could be cancer. Her surgery was scheduled for February 20 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. After several hours in surgery, the surgeon came to talk to us and gave us the devastating news that the tumor was ..."

TEAM ETHAN
Ethan's story: "Our 7 year old son Ethan was diagnosed with Stage IV Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) on August 6th, 2009. In the United States, about 250 children are diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma each year and Ethan's advanced diagnosis is even more rare with only about 40 cases a year. He is on a 54 week protocol that includes chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. We are currently being treated at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon. We are still looking into treatment options from two centers that specialize in ARMS, Memorial Sloan-Kettering in Manhattan and Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. Ethan has a terrific support ..."

TEAM MARISSA
Marissa's story: "I couldn't have asked for a better little girl then Marissa. She was the most perfect baby. She was always happy and smiling. And if you wasn't happy she would make you happy. She was a beautiful healthy little girl until a week after her first birthday and she started getting sick. We found out she had brain cancer, Medulloblastoma. We would never had thought a baby could have cancer. The doctors thought she would be ok at first because they had removed the tumor in her brain. And with chemo treatments they said she would have a good chance. But her cancer came back in three weeks and had spread all over her brain. The doctors had ..."

ANGELS 4 AIDEN
Aiden's story: "In July of 2008, Aiden was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Rhabdo-myosarcoma. He has an inoperable tumor the size of a lemon in his pelvis which has spread to his lung. Though his cancer is stage 4, his prognosis is excellent. Dr. Wexler at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is an expert in this type of cancer and thankfully Aiden's oncologist. He is very optimistic that he can cure Aiden of this terrible disease. Aiden will undergo 18 rounds of chemotherapy which will span about 60 weeks. He will also receive 28 round of radiation therapy for his pelvic tumor and another 12 for his lung. As you can imagine, a diagnosis of this magnitude, has ..."

KENNA'S TEAM
Kenna's story: "Kenna's diagnosis is CID which is Combined Immune Deficiency syndrome, simply put. This means that she does have an immune system, but it doesn't work at all; therefore, they classify her has having NO immune system. Strange way to go about it, but it makes sense once you understand it a bit better. The 'combined' part simply means that both her T-cells and B-cells are affected. They do not communicate with each other or anything else. As well as dealing with this, the PET scan showed clusters of tumors all over her lymphatic system. There are abnormal cell growths on the tumors that they removed. Kenna is a tough little girl, she is so happy every ..."

TEAM KIKI
Kiki's story: "Kiara’s story began on October 20th when she complained of belly pain and chest pain, with an accompanying fever.The night leading up to this she woke up 2 times during the night screaming with a severe headache.We took her to the pediatrician and they ordered a chest x-ray to rule out the possibility of pneumonia.The chest x-ray showed a possible cyst, she needed a CTscan to further diagnose the pain.The doctor put her on antibiotics just in case it was “round” pneumonia.4 days later she had a CTscan of her chest, which showed an 8cm tumor, most likely a Neuroblastoma.The following day we went to CHOP to see a pediatric oncologist, they did ..."

TEAM ELLIE
Ellie's story: "On the 4th of April, 2003, God brought Ellie into this world and placed her in my care. From the moment I looked into her newborn eyes, I promised to always protect her and love her. The years passed quickly and before I knew it, Ellie was celebrating her 5th birthday. She was a happy, vibrant, passionate little girl and I never gave it a second thought that I would one day be without her. Ellie had been having some balance problems and was complaining that her vision was blurry. After she fell head first off her bike, I made an appointment with our pediatrician. She ran a series of simple tests and decided that Ellie should have an MRI. When I think ..."

TEAM JAYDEN
Jayden's story: "Jayden started having problems with her balance and tremors in her right hand. We live in a small town and the doctors diagnosed her with an ear infection. After one week of the symptoms growing worse, waking up with horrible headache and vomiting. The doctors then told me it was Vertigo. I spoke with a friend who is a nurse and she suggested I take her for a CT scan. (Jayden had been in a serious accident at the age of six, with head trauma) We went the next morning. They found a small spot and sent us to Children's. She went in the next day and her surgeon (Dr. Lee) removed the 2" by 2" cancerous tumor from her Cerebellum. She still had "fingers" ..."

TEAM JEREMY
Jeremy's story: "My name is Jeremy Scot Leibacher and I am 16 years old. I was 15 when my journey began on Valentine's Day 2008. My Dad took me to the doctor after a month of fevers and not feeling well. We thought that the doctor would say it was a virus and we would just have to ride it out. Our doctor decided to take x-rays and do some blood work. She thought that I might have pnuemonia. Dad was taking me back to school when the doctor's office called my Mom and told her that my hemoglobin count was extremely low and I needed to get to the hospital immediately. The next call from the doctor was that we needed to go to Riley Hospital because the hematologists ..."

TEAM KYLE W
Kyle's story: "Kyle was originally diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor (Medulloblastoma/PNET) in December of 2006. He had 99% of the tumor removed on December 30th and started chemo January 2007. He had 6 rounds of chemo, followed by a stem cell transplant. We were told he was in remission as of July 2007. Everything after that was just follow-up MRI's every three months, port flushes monthly, and some specialist follow ups as well (hearing tests, etc) Kyle had a routine MRI done on March 11, 2008, which showed some small tumors throughout the brain and spine. He started chemo again on March 18th, followed by 30 radiation sessions from April 9th ..."

CHASE'S CHAMPIONS
Chase's story: "Chase was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, 11/1/06. He finished treatment 6/9/09. He is in 6th grade at Folsom Jr High, 08-09 5th Grade Student of the Year & Parish Finalist. He loves sports & GI Joe, favorite color is green, favorite Bible Verse is Psalm 4:8. Thanks for your prayers & support! When Chase was originally diagnosed in Nov., 2006, we were told his treatment plan would last two and a half to three years. Treatment began with what is called the induction phase from Nov. 4-Dec 8. The next phase, Intensification, began Dec 15th and is now over. When his counts are high enough, which we hope is July 20th, he will ..."

LIZZIE'S LEGACY
Lizzie's story: "Lizzie earned her wings August 28, 2009. In September 2007 she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain stem tumor (diffused pontine glioma). She was treated at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and received the most aggressive and progressive form of treatment currently available. The treatment she received was a new combination of radiation and radioactive chemotherapy, she showed great progress, and passed the 1 YEAR mark with a great outlook. In October 2008 her MRI showed the tumor was still stable! Unfortunately, a mere 3 weeks later in November, an MRI showed that the tumor had rapidly re-grown. Needless to ..."

TEAM SONYA
Sonya's story: "Our journey started around the end of May when Sonya started complaining about pain on the right knee but at first we thought it could have been her getting hurt in gym at school. A couple of weeks later since the pain had not gone away I took her to the doctor , who determined that she did not have any visible damage and she probably had pulled something so she told her to stay off her foot as much as possible and just ice it on and off . Three weeks went by and the pain was getting worse so I took her to see an orthopaedist this time , the orthopaedist took some x-rays and he imediately saw something that he could not see clearly so he ordered an MRI ..."

THE MISSION FOUNDATION
Nick's story: "One saturday morning at the end of January 2007, Nick came down the stairs and complained his knee was hurting. He had always had growing pains, so I figured he was getting ready to sprout, AGAIN! A month later he complained again, but he had gone ice skating and he's not very good...lol. He had also started jogging, so his dad ( my ex-husband) and I thought he had pulled something. I took Nick to Washington D.C. over Easter and it really started hurting; by Easter Day I had to get him a wheelchair. We came home the next day (Monday), Tues. his Dad took him to the doctor, Sat. I took him for x-rays and MRI, and by Mon. they were calling ..."

ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER MEMORY (A.D.A.M.)
Adam's story: "Adam was diagnosed November 14, 2007 with an inoperable brainstem tumor. His prognosis - 12 to 14 months. After much research we found ourselves at St. Jude Children Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. After 31 radiation treatments and a clinical trial chemotherapy, we came back to Michigan on January 17, 2008. Adam had 6 months of tumor stability, which provided us the chance to take him to Walt Disney World through Make-A-Wish Foundation. We were also able to take him to our family's lake house in Harrison, MI. This is a place he loved and referenced frequently during time spent at St. Jude ..."

Please pray for these warriors and angels whose family and friends make up TEAM UNITE.

Those in battle to achieve remission and our precious warriors who are now our angels of inspiration! Please take a moment to send your prayers for strength to these special people who have joined forces to make a difference for the children of our country. Thank you so much for doing what you do! God bless TEAM UNITE!

Legend of childhood cancer and diseases represented:

Rare Childhood Cancer (neuroblastoma; osteosarcoma; rhabdomyosarcoma)

Brain/Spinal

Kidney (CCSK: Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney; Wilms Tumor)

Leukemia

Liver (Hepatoblastoma)

Lung (Pleuropulmonary Blastoma)

Lymphoma

Ovarian

Testicular

Other Life-Threatening Illness