Presenting Olivia Penuell

When they say "your life can change overnight", it's absolutely true. On March 22, 2007, two days after her 4th birthday, our daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia or ALL. The news of cancer in our little girl was devastating and it redefined the word 'helpless' for us as parents. Being told that our daughter had an 85% chance of survival was heart-wrenching, but we knew we had to be strong for Olivia and for her 6-year old sister, Alexis, who was too young to comprehend the severity of what was happening to our family.

Olivia responded to the intense chemotherapy treatment quickly and thankfully, her leukemia went into remission after just 2 weeks. But this was just the beginning of at least a two and one half year battle.

For the next 8 months, we carried Olivia to the Johns Hopkins clinic weekly sometimes twice a week and at times admitted to the hospital for several days for intense chemotherapy treatment. It is Olivia who has handled this whole ordeal the best. Her amazing courage and strength has been an inspiration to all who have met her and even those that haven't but that have followed her Carepage and progress. It is Olivia's positive attitude and happy demeanor that has gotten us through this difficult time.

Throughout her treatment Olivia has experienced more than anyone should have to endure in his or her entire life. She lost her hair twice, she experienced weight gain and mood swings from the steroids, she suffered pain in her legs from chemo that at times was so severe it would not allow her to walk. She has experienced sleepless nights, several visits to the ER due to the slightest fever and being poked every time with a needle into her port-a-cath in her chest (a device that assists with intravenous administration of chemo and withdrawal of blood), which she no longer even cries anymore. Once during a routine lumbar puncture in the clinic she stopped breathing and turned blue, which I have to say was one of the scariest moments Brian and I have ever experienced. Through it all, Olivia has handled it like a champ and never complained about having to go to the hospital or clinic.

After a long 2.5 years, we are so blessed that Olivia is all finished with treatment and is a true cancer survivor!! Olivia is now in first grade and she is very happy to be in school making new friends and leading a "normal" life again. She looks forward to dancing ballet again this year and being the little princess she always has been, full of energy and life.

While overall living with childhood cancer has been stressful, extremely emotional and very humbling, there have certainly been some positives. This experience has strengthened our faith, brought our family closer, developed new friendships and strengthened old ones. Olivia has matured so much throughout these past 2.5 years both emotionally and faithfully and she continues to amaze us every day.