At 2-years-old, Abbey Brown was recuperating from the flu when the lymph nodes in her neck became swollen. Like most parents, Abbey’s were not overly concerned with this given that she had recently been sick. When the swelling did not go down, it was assumed Abbey had a bad infection and she was admitted to the hospital. An MRI showed that it was a treatable infection, which at first brought about feelings of relief to the Browns, but they were short lived as a shadow had also appeared on the MRI.
 
Further testing, surgery and ultimately a biopsy confirmed their worst fears – Abbey had a tumor on her spine that was neuroblastoma. Cancer was a word that Abbey’s family could barely verbalize let alone think about being rooted within their precious baby’s little body. Yet Abbey, despite her young age, was incredibly brave. Perhaps it was the calming influence of her baby sister laying in bed with her or the overwhelming love emanating from her family in her hospital room, but she showed no sign of concern.
 
Surgery to remove the tumor on Abbey’s spine was a huge success. Although a residual amount of the tumor remained, it was so small that the oncologists determined Abbey didn’t need to have follow-up chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Abbey’s health improved daily and although she will need to be monitored for several years, she is currently cancer-free!
 
Today Abbey is a bright, happy child 4-year-old who loves playing with Barbie dolls, adding to her collections of rocks and seashells, preschool, ballet lessons and curly hair – thanks to sleeping in braids the night before. Tight jeans are among her only dislikes! Family remains a strong influence in her life and she loves playing with her cousins and being a big sister to her sister Penny and her new baby brother Michael. 
 
Abbey’s journey was a scary one that so many families must endure. Simply put – the words cancer and child should not be in the same sentence. Her parent’s remained strong, loving pillars of support, but also learned to rely on family and friends who could commiserate with their heartache. Along the way they found an inner courage that they didn’t know they were capable of and discovered that Abbey was stronger and more courageous than they could have imagined. Most importantly, they remained hopeful and positive that effective treatments emerging from cutting edge research projects could help Abbey. 
 
The treatment and care that Abbey received clearly made an impression on her as she talks about becoming a nurse or doctor when she grows up. In that spirit, and to rally her community’s support, Abbey and her family will be hosting their first Alex’s Lemonade Stand this summer with Abbey on tap to pour the first cup!
 
Information provided by Kathy Rose, Abbey’s Grandma
March 2012