Nikki will be blogging for 24 hours on July 29th to raise money for the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation in honor of brave NB Fighters! Please
Nikki (on right) & her best friend Jen say, "We're at $917! Just a little more is needed to reach $1000!!"
Anna O’Connor fights a Childhood Disease as an Adult! [Post #24 9 PM]
[We have a SERIOUS problem folks! Blogger is going to shut down between 12-2 AM EST for maintenance! I might have to change locations for 2 hours. Stay tuned! If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!!]
Anna O'Connor (20) was diagnosed with High Risk, Stage IV Neuroblastoma when she was 17, prior to her senior year in high school. An incredibly slowly progressing disease has allowed Anna to complete her sophomore at Wheaton College, including winter semester at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA.
Since February of 2006, doctors have been treating the disease as a chronic disorder with a Phase 1 trial using Zometa combined with low-dose oral chemo, and Cytoxin .
Throughout her struggle with this beast, Anna has been involved in drama, swimming, varsity badminton, and has been working the past two summers as a life guard at Northside Pool. She has also kept active in her church, Community Fellowship in Carol Stream, playing and singing in the Praise Band, Drama Team and as a leader in her youth group. During her senior year in high school, she was the principal flutist for the symphonic band and orchestra! Anna’s strength & love has continued to center on her three younger siblings, Kate, Jamey, and Kelly.
Anna received an award for her essay entitled, “The Letter I Would Like to Have Received from a Friend or Relative During My Illness”. It can be found here in its entirety.
Nikki’s Notes: I think Anna is amazing. Being diagnosed with a children’s cancer at age 17 has got to be extremely difficult, but I know Anna is up to the task!
I tried accessing Anna’s site yesterday, and Homestead said it had been disabled. If anyone knows of a new link, post a comment!
Anna O’Connor fights a Childhood Disease as an Adult! [Post #24 9 PM]
[We have a SERIOUS problem folks! Blogger is going to shut down between 12-2 AM EST for maintenance! I might have to change locations for 2 hours. Stay tuned! If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!!]
Anna O'Connor (20) was diagnosed with High Risk, Stage IV Neuroblastoma when she was 17, prior to her senior year in high school. An incredibly slowly progressing disease has allowed Anna to complete her sophomore at Wheaton College, including winter semester at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA.
Since February of 2006, doctors have been treating the disease as a chronic disorder with a Phase 1 trial using Zometa combined with low-dose oral chemo, and Cytoxin .
Throughout her struggle with this beast, Anna has been involved in drama, swimming, varsity badminton, and has been working the past two summers as a life guard at Northside Pool. She has also kept active in her church, Community Fellowship in Carol Stream, playing and singing in the Praise Band, Drama Team and as a leader in her youth group. During her senior year in high school, she was the principal flutist for the symphonic band and orchestra! Anna’s strength & love has continued to center on her three younger siblings, Kate, Jamey, and Kelly.
Anna received an award for her essay entitled, “The Letter I Would Like to Have Received from a Friend or Relative During My Illness”. It can be found here in its entirety.
Nikki’s Notes: I think Anna is amazing. Being diagnosed with a children’s cancer at age 17 has got to be extremely difficult, but I know Anna is up to the task!
I tried accessing Anna’s site yesterday, and Homestead said it had been disabled. If anyone knows of a new link, post a comment!
posted by nikki the red at 9:00 PM
9 Comments:
Hi Nikki, can you just blog on your word processor for those 2 hours and cut/paste when its back up? Just a thought. Ellen
hey nikki,
This is Anna's dad, Bob. Sorry about Anna's web site. Just got back from the North Woods to find out that it has been disabled. Hope to be up and running soon, but have to get a hold of the web master. You can read her essay at http://www.andreriveroflife.org/anna.htm. Right now, Anna has switched over to yet another experimental medicine. The disease spread under the Zometa, so she has recently switched over to CEP-701. She drinks a really nasty liquid twice a day. She's been able to work this summer even though the meds make her pretty sick by the end of the week (she has the weekends off treatment!!). Right now she is out in L.A. helping to produce an extreme sports event at Hunington Beach. Pretty cool stuff. We are very proud of her. This is a tiresome business -- she is so tired of treatment and waking up each morning wondering whether this beast is going to take off or just leave her alone. She wants desperately to make a difference with her life and works hard to make every moment count. This disease has taken the lives of many children Anna has gotten to know (through treatment) over the years. But CNCF funds crucial research. Anna is among those children, like Christi, who simply don't respond to conventional treatments. They have no choice but to pursue the clinical trials -- that's the very research that organizations like CNCF fund. So, the monies raised here may help find a cure for the future -- for kids like Anna, it is what keeps them going today. Thank you all for your incredible generosity -- for your care for these kids you've never even met.
Christi Thomas is a profound inspiration. Anna and Christi have endured an almost identical course of treatment.
Blessings,
-bob
Hey Nikki! Things are up and running over at my place, and the pics are there of some of the kids. thanks for stopping by and helping me out! i'm taking the time to read this, and it's heart wrenching, but i'm glad you found me and i was able to contribute, even if only a small amount!
It was a false alarm, don't panic! Blogger is not going down.
i'm working with other bloggers on a solution. i may need to use my livejournal account for those 2 hours.
bob--thank you for that update on anna!
lori--thank you!
Hey Nikki!! Ok, first of all - I LOVE YOUR HAIR! Second, I mentioned on the bSpies site that I can set you up to author on my typepad site under your own separate location/address.
Let me know if you're interested!!
sarasays@gmail.com
cat posted that everything is ok!!! but that's awesome of you sara!!!!
**can i please mention that my "word verification" is axepoop/???? how silly is that?
ROFL. Axepoop. Now, that will be REALLY funny in about 5 hours. I heard about the false alarm!!!! I'm relieved you're not going to have to uproot. Close call.
i'm going to post "axepoop" on your blog here really soon.
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