We are on day #7.  She is doing awesome.  Other than a few bloody noses and feeling dizzy, she seems to be feeling fine.  We are doing a chemo pill where you take it for 5 days and have 23 days off.   She repeats the cycle every month. 

She made a tea party for Bryce.  She is such a cutie.

Day 2 of taking the pills.  She is doing awesome!   Happy Girl!

This is Simone. She is 5yrs old.  She is so sweet.   She loves everyone and makes you feel special when you are around her.  She is one of a kind.



May 11, 2010
When  Simone was 7 months old we were at the pediatricians office just for a regular checkup.  Her doctor noticed that her forehead was bulging a little bit.  That made her a little worried so she wanted us to get a CT scan.   So  off we went for the scan. After we went home, a few hours later we got the phone call that would change our family.  They wanted us immediately to come to the hospital.  At that time we lived in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Matt and I drove to the hospital with Simone not knowing what was going to happen.  As we got there they took us to a hospital room and they had Simone do an MRI.  So again we waited for that.  Then they brought us in with the Dr. and they showed us the scan and told us she had a brain tumor.  It is in the middle of her brain by the thalamus.   Matt and I could not believe what we were seeing.  We were so shocked and scared.
 The next day the neurosurgeon talked to us about putting a shunt in because the fluid around her brain wasn't draining well because of her tumor. It's called hydrocephalus.
 The oncologist was against it but the neurosurgeon would not let Simone leave unless he put the shunt in.  We agreed she needed it.  On May 16, 2010 her shunt was put in.  We could not believe the difference in her.  She was more alive than ever.  It was amazing! 

 While at the hospital, the nurses and the neurosurgeon suggested to us that we should probably move to where there is a children's hospital.  We agreed.  In July of 2010 we moved to Salt lake City, Utah  where Primary Children's hospital is located.   

This is Simone after the shunt.  You can tell she feels so much better.  She is so beautiful!

In July of 2010 we had a biopsy done of her tumor.  The diagnosis was a Grade 2 step 4 Astrocytoma.  We also talked with the neurosurgeon about trying to the remove the tumor but since it is in the middle they feel it is to complicated. 

For five years we have been watching Simone grow and develop.  Doing MRI's every 3 to 6 months among a lot of other doctors appointments.  Until now it hasn't grown.  She has been great through it all.  The only thing she really complains about is being put to sleep.  She hates the feeling of it. 

For the past year, we have had 3 MRI's and Simone's tumor has been growing.  We feel it is time to do something about it before it starts to damage anything in her brain.  It's a hard decision but we feel it is the right thing to do and so does Dr. Bruggers, her oncologist.  We trust her and know she is only doing what she feels is right for Simone. 

She will start on a Chemotherapy pill this week and we are pretty nervous for this.  We will see how it goes.