I'm why you're here

Chris

On September 17th, 2005, I had a seizure.

On September 17th, 2005, I had a seizure. I had been experiencing bad headaches and trouble with my vision for awhile. At Denver Health after an MRI, it was discovered that I had a large tumor in the middle of my brain. The name of the cancer was a Pinealblastoma, mostly found in infants aged 2 to 3 years old. I was 22 at the time. I was transferred to The Children’s Hospital where doctors felt would be better to treat that type of cancer. I was transferred on October 23rd, 2005, and immediately I could tell that they had a great staff. I remember one of the night nurses, Heath. When I was feeling down and out he would bring me all the Apple Jacks I could eat! I had one of the best doctors, Dr. Foreman, to treat the type of cancer I had. I started chemotherapy on January 5th, 2005 and immediately felt better. I was lucky and did not suffer much from nausea and vomiting, most people get much sicker with these treatments.

On November 3rd I was on my way home! As an out-patient I started radiation treatments at Fitzsimmons Hospital and continued my chemotherapy at Children’s. Unfortunately, in 2009 my tumor returned and after more chemotherapy and multiple hospital stays I am currently in remission!

I am now married to Sofia and we have added a new baby girl to our family. I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know Mariah, my son Javon and our daughter Gabrielle much better!
I want to thank you for the chance to tell my story.

Thank you

Our Stories

10 for 10 Ambassador - Aaron

GOT CHIP? GOT TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL

Age: 26 Diagnosis: Germinoma Favorite Song: “Stand By Me” performed by Prince Royce Hobbies: Tennis and Kayaking CHIP Impact: MAF supported work into the memory loss associated with intracranial germ cell tumors; a devastating complication. This enabled us to realize the importance of rapid initiation of therapy. Aaron presented with severe loss of memory, but the..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Caitlin

GOT CHIP? GOT TO BE A LIFESAVER

Age: 20 Diagnosis: Grade 4 Medulloblastoma Favorite Song: "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson Hobbies: watching movies, hanging out with friends CHIP Impact: Caitlin’s severe reaction to her radiation treatment has led to current research project using SNP chips to look at DNA repair gene variation (called polymorphism). This study will enable future identification of hig..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Christian

GOT CHIP? GOT TO SING IN THE CHOIR

Age: 10 Diagnosis: Medulloblastoma Hobbies: Cub Scouts, Music Favorite Song: “Don’t Stop Believing” by the Glee Cast CHIP Impact: Collaborative collection of chip data, including Colorado Children’s Hospital, has enabled us to realize that even children with metastatic disease can be cured with the application of modified therapy. Christian was an ..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Eli

GOT CHIP? GOT MY VIOLIN PLAYING

Age: 5 Diagnosis: Craniopharyngioma Hobbies: Skiing, Playing Violin and Dancing CHIP Impact: Eli inspired us to look at the chip data for all children with craniopharyngiomas, something which had never been done in any center. This has suggested potential new therapies for this tumor. In late December 2008, while on the East Coast for Eli’s great grandmother’s 9..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Grace

GOT CHIP? GOT BACK IN THE POOL

Age: 12 Diagnosis: Glioblastoma with PNET component Hobbies: Reading, Swimming, Shopping, going to the Spa and Creating Art Favorite Song: “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson CHIP Impact: Chip data showed that certain tumors do not fit neatly into one category. Some tumors, such as in this child, have characteristics of two different types of brain tumors. The chip ..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Kuhu

GOT CHIP? GOT MY GROOVE BACK

Age: 14 Diagnosis: Ganglioglioma on the brain stem Hobbies: Dancing Favorite Song: "Rolling in the deep" by Adele CHIP Impact: Through chip data analysis, researchers were able to look into the genetic basis for certain low grade tumors which had previously been very difficult to treat. This resulted in the identification of a specific treatable genetic mutation which, in Kuh..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Myles

GOT CHIP? GOT TO GO TO SUMMER CAMP

Age: 10 Diagnosis: Medulloblastoma Hobbies: Exploring Favorite Song: "I’ve Got a Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas CHIP Impact: Myles has had relapses of metastatic medulloblastoma which previously had been rapidly fatal in all children. Development of new therapies inspired by chip analysis has enabled him to survive these relapses and given him a realistic chance of cur..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Tayler

GOT CHIP? GOT TO BE A "DAISY" SCOUT

Age: 7 Diagnosis: Glioblastoma Multiforme Completed Treatment: March 10th, 2010 Hobbies: Riding her scooter, swimming, reading, writing and art Favorite Song: “I Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas CHIP Impact: Tayler was identified by conventional pathology as having a glioblastoma, but when treated with therapy for this tumor, rapidly recurred. Chip dat..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Whitney

GOT CHIP? VALEDICTORIAN!

Age: 19 Diagnosis: Medulloblastoma Hobbies: Motivational Speaking Favorite Song: “Part of Me” by Katy Perry CHIP Impact: MicroArray Chip data has accurately identified a particular high risk medulloblastoma (c-myc positive). This has enabled us to adjust therapy and now means that children with this variant of medulloblastoma, previously incurable, now have a rea..
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10 for 10 Ambassador - Will

GOT CHIP? GOT SPELLING BEE CHAMPIONSHIP

Age: 10 Diagnosis: High-grade glioma Favorite song/band: The Grateful Dead, Green Day, Led Zeppelin Hobbies: Playing guitar, traveling, and riding his bike CHIP Impact: Data from the MicroArray chip determined the therapy to be used, which was successful in spite of the fact that Will had a malignant metastatic tumor. On July 3, 2004 a previously unknown cerebellar brain ..
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Abigail

Abby was a trooper throughout her treatment

Abby, age 9, was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma on June 29, 2005. The tumor was located on her spine and had pressed on her spinal cord so severely that Abby was paralyzed from the waist down. After surgery to remove the tumor, Abby began a long year that included 14 rounds of chemo and 26 days of radiation, not to mention countless physical therapy sessions to help her regain the use ..
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Allison

She completed therapy in May 2008

Allison was six years old in April 2007 when she was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma. The surgery successfully removed the whole tumor, about the size of a plumb. She then underwent six weeks of radiation, and nine rounds of chemotherapy at Children’s Hospital, under the care of Dr. Nick Foreman and his wonderful staff and the nurses in the infusion room. She completed therapy in May 20..
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Ariana

May 20, 2002 – January 3, 2007

Ariana, or as she is called, Ani, was born a perfectly normal and healthy little girl four years ago. All that changed on Friday, January 13, 2006. Little Ani was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood brain cancer – pontine brain stem glioma. This form of cancer accounts for less than ten percent of all childhood brain tumors. The prognosis is not good. The tumor intertwines itself wit..
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Brandon

November 24, 1997 – April 13, 2007

Brandon was diagnosed with a metastatic medullablastoma brain tumor on June 26, 2002. He was 4 ½ years old. He became a big brother just three weeks before to his little sister, Katie. Brandon was having symptoms from the brain tumor and everyone thought it was due to the new baby. We knew something was wrong, but had no idea what. As bad as it was, we were fortunate to find it when ..
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Brandon

I am cancer free

I was diagnosed on March 2, 2006 with a Non-Germanomatous Germ Cell Tumor at the age of 16. I underwent chemotherapy followed by whole-brain radiation. My last treatment fell on my 17th birthday. Today I am 19 years old. I am cancer free and learning to live with amnesia, or short term memory loss, the result of the tumor and treatments. I live with my mom, Lorri. I have an older sister..
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Brianna

April 20, 2000 – March 4, 2005

Brianna was diagnosed on June 9th, 2004 with a Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade IV tumor located in the thalamus of her brain. After the initial biopsy and two craniotomies, she had 2 rounds of chemotherapy followed by 30 radiation therapies. She stayed on oral chemotherapy until she relapsed in January 2005. She also needed physical and occupational therapies to help her regain the use of her r..
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Bugsy

At diagnosis, he was in stage four, the most advanced cancer.

Neal (Bugsy) Dennett Hutchinson had just turned four years old when he was diagnosed with Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma, a non-Hodgkins cancer. At diagnosis, he was in stage four, the most advanced cancer. Luckily for him, the doctors at The Children’s Hospital were ready to promote a bone marrow transplant as his best hope for cure. He went to Omaha, Nebraska, where he was the youngest can..
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Chase

February 2, 1987 – August 10, 2002

On February 8, 1998, four days after his 11th birthday, my healthy, athletic son Chase Kluth was diagnosed with a teratoma brain tumor. Two weeks later Dr. Michael Handler and Dr. Nicholas Foreman concurred that the tumor had to be surgically removed. Despite surviving a successful 8 hour surgery, complications set in requiring emergency surgery. This second surgery left Chase in a coma for mo..
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Christian

His last MRI and spinal tap in August 2007 were both negative.

Christian was an active and loving 3 year old when diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor (Medulloblastoma) on July 15th, 2005. Christian was rushed to Children’s Hospital where he began a 2 ½ week hospital stay. Our roller coaster ride continued when cancer cells were found after a spinal tap was performed on August 3rd. Christian underwent a six week radiation and chemother..
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Dani

August 24, 1979 – April 17, 1999

Daniele Stell (we called her Dani) was 18 years old when she was diagnosed with a cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma. She had found a lump on her side and after numerous trips to her regular doctor and six months time, she was finally diagnosed. By that time, the cancer had spread to her lungs and she was in a critical state. Her misdiagnosis most likely cost her life. Once Ewing’s ..
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Danielle

January 21, 1985 – July 30, 2003

Danielle was thirteen and on the school volleyball team when her knee began to hurt. She did not think much of it, but the pain persisted until she could not walk. After months of tests and countless doctor visits she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in her right hip. She began chemotherapy and had several surgeries in an attempt to save her leg as well as her life. Unfortunat..
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Gabby

March 3, 1998 – September 28, 2004

Gabby’s headaches had started out small but had gotten so severe she asked to cancel her Teddy Bear birthday party. Instead of a party, she took a trip to The Children’s Hospital ER, where a CAT scan revealed the source of the headaches. The day before her 5th Birthday Gabby was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of a baseball. This was the beginning of a 19 month fight against ..
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Gabriel

December 24, 1980 – September 27, 2005

Gabriel Fawcett was in a car accident in May 1998. He and his girlfriend only experienced minor bumps and bruises, thanks to seatbelts. They were taken to the hospital for observation and CT scans as a precaution. After viewing the scans, the doctor inquired about past head injuries, seeing something abnormal on the scan. We brushed it off as an obvious mistake on the scan. They did another sc..
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Gabrielle

Gabrielle has been off treatment for 6 years, and doing very well

Gabrielle, at two years old was an adorable little girl. She was bright and fun but, something wasn't quite right. It took a few weeks to determine that it was a brain tumor that was keeping her from being completely healthy and happy. Over the next year, she went weekly to Children's Hospital for chemotherapy. Dr. Foreman and the nurses in the Oncology Clinic became a part of our lives. H..
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Josh

Josh had too many tumors to count

In October of 1997, 6 months after his father Randy died suddenly, Josh English age 10, was diagnosed with a rare and fatal form of brain cancer called PNET. Josh had too many tumors to count and was given a less than 15% prognosis (expected chance to live). It was during this treatment that he had the privilege of meeting and getting to know Morgan Adams and her family. Thanks to the adva..
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Josie

January 4, 2007-December 18, 2007

Josie was a bright, fun, and happy little girl who could light up a room and command attention with just her smile and her laugh. You could not help but smile and laugh with her. Her eyes would captivate you as you gazed in amusement about the wonder and excitement only a child can bring. She was born perfectly, as every parent hopes. She had only minor colds and earaches throughout the y..
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Kyle

His life was filled with doctor appointments, surgeries, and fear of the unknown

Kyle was a happy 13 year old who had just finished a summer of baseball and happened to be at football practice when the call came that Kyle had cancer. He had a mole removed a few days earlier that seemed fine but the biopsy revealed it as a level four malignant melanoma. Melanoma is a deadly kind of skin cancer. His life was filled with doctor appointments, surgeries, and fear of the unknown..
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Kyra

October 12, 1993 – April 17, 1996

This is not an easy story, just like so many who face this terrible illness. Our daughter Kyra was born bright, beautiful and joyful, and life was perfect. We had a son of 2 years and this little auburn haired bundle. Time had finally stood still and life was full. We were complete. It was the throwing up that led us to seek advice; milk allergies, reflux? When they said, “Your daughter ..
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Lindsey

February 12, 1990 – April 10, 1998

Lindsey was diagnosed with a brain tumor (an ependymoma) when she was 13 months old. She endured chemotherapy, radiation and multiple surgeries over a period of 7 years, battling seven reoccurrences of her tumor. The multiple surgeries left Lindsey neurologically impaired. Speech had become difficult and she was no longer able to walk unaided. Unfortunately, conventional treatments did not wor..
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Lyndsey

My therapy was completed in August 1998

I’m 24 years old and have been happily married to my best friend and the love of my life for a little over three years and we have a beautiful daughter. After a long five years, I graduated from Metropolitan State College of Denver in December with a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences. I have also been working part-time for the City and County of Denver as a Public Safety Cad..
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Marc

November 1, 1981 – February 29, 2004

Marc enjoyed doing things every 4 year old boy usually likes to do. In February of 1986 Marc’s left eye was turning in, and he began having balance difficulty. Our pediatrician sent us to an Ophthalmologist, who in turn sent us to a Neurologist and a Neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital, on February 17, 1986, where he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After surgery and radiation ..
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Morgan A.

July 30, 1992 – November 7, 1998

Morgan was a normal, healthy, very happy 5-year old girl when she was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Multiforme brain tumor in December of 1997. She’d had no real outward symptoms and her diagnosis was utterly incomprehensible. We were told that GBM’s were very rare in children and that Morgan likely had only a 15% chance of surviving this tumor. Her tumor was large and devastating ..
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Morgan M.

She finished treatments in January 2006

Morgan was a normal 15 year old girl excited about being in junior high, loved to be with her friends, and trying out for the soccer team when her life changed forever. One night in February 2005, after practice, she noticed a lump on her groin; we thought it was a pulled muscle, the next night she was limping from back pain. I had a sick feeling in my stomach, the next morning we were at the ..
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Neal

August 2, 1980 – July 19, 2007

Neal was born in Brooklyn NY and grew up on Long Island with his older sister Robyn and his younger brother Louis. In 1996 he moved to Colorado, acquiring another brother and sister, Ansley and Jamie. He graduated from Conifer High School having studied computer science at Warren Tech for combined high school/college credit. He attended Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood and later taught ..
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Paul

By June of 2003, Paul was cancer-free

In 2002, Paul Lemieux was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, the same kind of cancer Lance Armstrong beat. Paul’s tumor however had developed in his brain. Paul had surgery at the Children’s Hospital in November of 2002, and then underwent chemotherapy over 4 months, followed by five weeks of radiation. By June of 2003, Paul was cancer-free and he remains so today. Despit..
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Philip

July 18, 1990 – September 27, 2005

Phil was diagnosed with leukemia in New Castle Colorado on April 1, 2005 and immediately flew to Denver for treatment. His type of cancer was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Phil started chemotherapy to try and get his cancer into remission. Unfortunately, Phil’s cancer was very aggressive and responded very slowly to the chemotherapy. The doctors started discussing a Bone Marrow Trans..
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Sean

Despite the odds, today Sean is cancer free and a survivor.

On November 29, 2000 at the age of 10 ½ months, Sean Ian McCauley was diagnosed with a large and malignant Atypical Teratoid-Rhabdoid brain tumor. At the time, the very rare tumor carried only a 2% survival rate and no standardized treatment plan. After extensive searching to find treatment options and ultimately hope, Sean completed a year of experimental treatment, including 10 surger..
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Tanner

Tanner received 3 rounds of chemotherapy

Tanner, a 13 year old 7th grader at West Middle School, was diagnosed July 7, 1998 with a 4th ventricle posterior fossa Ependymoma. He was 21 months old. At the hands of Dr. Michael Handler, Tanner’s neurosurgeon, a complete surgical resection took place on July 9th, 1998. Tanner spent 3 grueling weeks in the hospital recovering. During that time, a VP shuntwas installed in his he..
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Teddy

Teddy just completed six months of grueling physical therapy and nineteen rounds of chemo.

My wife and I strolled down the long red carpet. The interior of the Denver warehouse had been magically transformed into an upscale art auction. We could hear a stringed ensemble at the far end of the gala. Over one thousand guests were sipping on glasses of wine. Relishing the hors d'oeuvres. A volunteer at the entrance of the gala asked how we acquired our tickets. We weren't sure. Somebody..
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Thomas

May 26, 2004 – August 31, 2008

Our beautiful son, Thomas, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor(ATRT) at Children's Hospital, Denver in February 2007, at age 2yrs, 9mths. He was a previously healthy, happy little boy. The tumor was successfully removed and Thomas commenced a course of maintenance chemotherapy. He underwent a stem cell rescue in April. A MRI around this time was normal. In May, Thomas started high ..
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Zachary

March 9, 2004 – December 1, 2006

Our precious son, Zachary Voss, was diagnosed with a brain tumor on March 27, 2006, just two weeks after his second birthday. His symptoms were vomiting and loss of balance (ataxia). An MRI revealed that Zachary had a medullablastoma, an extremely aggressive form of brain cancer that was completely coating his entire brain, partially coating his spine, and tumor cells were floating in his spin..
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I'm why you're here

Chris

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