Mia

Mia’s cancer story started on Dec 5th, 2019 when she was diagnosed at the age of 5.  A large mass had taken over her left thigh and traveled through her pelvis into her abdomen and lymph nodes. The next week, we knew what type and stage of cancer, Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS), and what her treatment would be, 42 “treatment weeks” broken down into 14 main cycles with 56 doses of chemotherapy and 23 days of radiation.

Our family is from Craig in northwest Colorado, and the complexity of her treatment meant we would need to be at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver multiple times a week. We needed to live in Denver, and our prayers were answered quickly. Brent’s Place had an opening for our whole family on Dec 11th in a wonderfully safe and clean apartment.

COVID came and like the rest of the world, we quarantined, but we were well educated on quarantining already. We kept our heads down and Mia kept fighting.  Mia and our family had all the ups and downs cancer brings. Radiation went very well for her, and despite the horribleness of chemo, she gave every ounce of fighting spirit in each round.

On Nov 5th, 2020, 11 months to the day from her diagnosis, Mia was declared in full remission with no evidence of disease (NED). Her journey does not end yet of course, for the next 5 years she will continue to be monitored closely, and even after that another 5 years of evaluating the challenges she may face the rest of her life due to the horrible side effects of chemo and radiation on a small growing body.

Mia loves the nurses and doctors at Children’s Colorado, they were her best friends and like family to her. Her only outings for 11 months were to and from that hospital and Brent’s Place. We can never thank enough the team at Children’s, and all those who support them, their research, and the facility.  It is, for this reason, we are so thankful for The Morgan Adams Foundation and their support of research at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado.