At this time of year, children all over the world search through catalogs, peer into store windows and compile a list of gifts they hope to receive during the holiday season. Bikes, dolls, chemistry kits and video games top the lists of so many children.
Our NF Heroes have additional hopes: less chemotherapy, fewer doctors’ appointments, reduced tumor size. At the Children’s Tumor Foundation, we are working relentlessly to fulfill that hope.
This holiday season, we asked some NF Heroes and Champions to share their story, their hope for the holidays, and thoughts for the coming year.
Jazmine’s mother, Melissa, says, “Jazmine was placed with us through foster care at six months old and her adoption was finalized in February 2014! Right away, we noticed light brown spots covering her body. Her pediatrician told us it was nothing to worry about and that most likely her biological mom or dad had the spots too. That answer didn’t satisfy us and we switched to a fantastic pediatrician who has become one of Jazmine’s greatest medical advocates.
“In November of 2013, Jazmine underwent surgery to have tubes placed in her ears and had a baseline brain MRI while she was anesthetized. The MRI findings were bilateral optic gliomas and Chiari malformation. We made a trip to Amplatz Children’s Hospital in January 2014 and it was decided that the best course of treatment would be to watch and wait.
“In March, we returned to Amplatz for Jazmine to have the Chiari repair surgery, only her ophthalmologist noted that her pupils weren’t responding to light as well. Her team decided it would be a good time to start chemotherapy and prevent further vision loss.
“Jazmine has been undergoing chemo for nine months now and has completed 25 of 42 treatments. She turned three on December 8th and is a happy, busy little girl! You can follow her NF journey at Love for Jazmine Joy on Facebook.”
What is your hope for the holiday this year?
“Our biggest hope for the holiday this year is for Jazmine to be healthy and that we are all together as a family!”
What is your idea of the perfect day?
“Jazmine’s perfect day would be a day filled with sunshine, popsicles, outdoors, parks and Peppa Pig!”
What are you most looking forward to next year?
“In 2015, Jazmine is looking forward to being done with chemo and being free to be a little kid again! Pre-chemo, she was in dance class and loved it -she will be so happy to return once her immune system can withstand being around groups of people again!”
If you would like to support our efforts to fund research to end NF,
please visit ctf.org/hope and make a donation to the Hope for the Holidays campaign.
