Libby was diagnosed with medulloblastoma at age 5 (July 2020) right before starting kindergarten and in the thick of Covid isolations. She was just a bit wobbly and had some episodes of early morning vomiting, but we knew something wasn’t quite right and our pediatrician immediately sent us to the emergency room. Within 2 hours, Libby was in the ICU awaiting brain surgery. She looked perfectly healthy! Libby named her tumor “Earl” because Earl had to die!

Our lives were shattered. Covid prevented our family from being together. Libby’s twin sister and baby sister were unable to visit and mom and dad alternated 24 hour shifts at the hospital. She walked herself into the OR suite 2 days later for surgery and didn’t walk again for many months. 

Libby suffered numerous complications after surgery, the worst being severe posterior fossa syndrome. She became bedbound, tube fed, incontinent, and nonverbal for several months. She battled multiple serious infections and rarely came home over the next 9 months. Upon completion of chemo and stem cell transplants, she went to inpatient rehab for 2 months. She was finally reunited back with her family just in time to enjoy the summer before first grade! She thrived being with her peers and needed a ton of support to live a normal life. 

And then it happened again. Libby relapsed in June 2022 at age 7. Without any symptoms at all and while being the strongest she had been since diagnoses. She was even participating on a summer swim team! We all moved to Cincinnati for Libby to complete proton radiation. Radiation was a breeze compared to her first rounds of treatment! Her sisters went back home to start school halfway through treatment and Libby joined them a few weeks after second grade started. She rocked that bald head like the boss she is! 

Libby is currently cancer free and thriving. Though she now will live with lifelong complications of her diagnosis and treatment, she is happy. Libby has participated in special Olympics, her summer swim team, and her favorite activity is the adaptive swim team with a good friend.  And she is back with her best friends - her two sisters. And we desperately hope we get to keep Libby forever. Our family dynamics have fundamentally shifted. We make so many fun memories and do not take time together for granted. 

Medulloblastoma stole a lot from our family, but we refuse to let it win. 

Thank you for choosing to donate to The Cure Starts Now Foundation. 100% of this donation, after credit card processing fees, goes directly towards research to find the homerun cure for cancer starting with pediatric brain cancer research.

If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to:  The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215 and put the child's name in the memo.

The family receives notification of all donations made to this tribute fund automatically.