NOTE FROM THE MACS STAFF

Mace's story was written in November/06 when she was re-added to MACS. She passed away on December 2nd, 2006. We will update the end of her story as soon as we receive more information from her family.

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Mace's Story
written by mom Tasha

Mace' was born two months early due to not gaining weight within the last two months. She was 4lbs 15oz. She was always sick as a baby and always had "bronchitis" or cold. When she was in the sixth grade, Mace' played in the orchestra and playing the violin and complained of her back hurting a lot. The doctors gave her pain relievers but it did not help at all. On a visit to the doctors about her back hurting badly, she complained of coughing over the weekend and the doctor ordered a chest x-ray and a MRI. The doctor called me that night and told me the scans revealed a large tumor above Mace's kidney and she needed to see a doctor the next day. She was admitted to the Children's Oncology Hospital and had back surgery the next day. The tumor was removed in her spine, but she had to undergo chemotherapy to fight the tumor in her abdomen. Mace' was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma Stage 2. Chemotherapy started two weeks later. Mace' was in and out the hospital for fevers, infections-shingles, and surgeries!

She had abdominal surgery to attempt to remove the tumor, but the doctors were unable to. The doctors tried to discourage us against doing the stem cell transplant, but Mace' said she wanted to fight it. She did not want to give up. She had a double stem cell transplant in the summer of 2002 at MUSC and radiation in the fall of 2002. Mace' wore an abdominal brace for a while to correct her spine, but not successful. Mace' had a Fundoplication done in November 2005 due to GERD and an Anterior & Posterior Spinal Fusion in January 2006.

Mace' went to her teen group (Lasting Impressions) trip and to Georgia for "Red Carpet Day" and was excited about the upcoming school year she is a junior and would be getting her license. Mace' was doing very well until June 2006 she came back from Camp Kemo complaining of female itching and an ear infection. She said that she was cold at camp and she is never cold. She went to the pediatrician about her ear and itching and antibiotics were given. On the follow-up visit, her ear infection had not cleared up and more antibiotics were given. A few weeks later Mace' had bloodwork done at the oncologist and scans and some small tumors were found. The doctors thought her cancer had spread to her liver.

Mace' had a needle liver biopsy done the following week in July, and had to have surgery in early August to try to get another biopsy. She went home after 3 days. When she came home, she noticed blisters all over her abdomen around the incision sites and we got worried. I took her to see the surgical doctor two days later, and he said she had an allergic reaction to something and was given new instructions for care. More blisters had appeared on her abdomen within a day and I took her back to the doctor and new instructions were given. That night, the blisters had gotten worse and one was on her eyelid.

I took her to the emergency room early Saturday morning, August 12, 2006 after talking to the on-call doctor. She was admitted. Blisters were forming while we were in the room. Antibiotics and fluids were given and she started getting better. The doctors said she had a Staph infection. Before being discharged 6 days later, one of her oncologists told us that her blood work did not look good and would be repeated on the following Monday. The doctors said her blood looked like leukemia cells.

She had a bone marrow biopsy done a week later and the doctors are saying she has "secondary AML" and the situation is very serious. Mace' did not show any of the symptoms except her white blood count was elevated and the bone marrow under microscope was of AML cells and she needed to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. Between being hospitalized for the blisters and being diagnosed with AML, our whole family had given Mace' a surprise "Sweet Sixteen and 5 Year Cancer Survivor" dinner. She was surprised and received money and a 1993 Nissan Sentra. We don't know why Mace' has had such a hard end summer, but she is in high spirits to try to keep us all strong and she said that she is going to fight this as she did Neuroblastoma against what the doctors said.

Mace' is a fighter and I, as a mother, just hate that she has to endure so much through adolescence and now young adulthood. Mace' was looking forward to her junior year in high school, to College Upward Bound, getting her car license and to January 2007, so she could start participating in sports, Mace's struggle has touched our community and prayers are asked from everywhere. Mace' went into the hospital on Tuesday, August 29, 2006. Aggressive treatment started immediately. A Bone Marrow Transplant will  be done on December 21st from one of her siblings. She has one full brother and one half sister and Mace' is scared for them if they have to give her a transplant. I truly believe Mace' may worry about us more than herself. I know that she is keeping her faith in God to pull her through and try to be strong for the family.