Make A Child Smile

Amanda P.	- added May 8, 2008	- Major Surgery
Emmie M.	- added Apr 18, 2008	- Health Declining Rapidly
David K.	- added Mar 31, 2008	- Lung Surgery
Henry H.	- added Feb 6, 2008	- Relapsed
Katie K.	- added Dec 29, 2007	- Relapsed
John C.	- added Dec 29, 2007	- Relapsed

The kids below really need your love and support right now.
Let's fill up their mailbox and show them you care!

NOTE: Kids listed on this page will remain here until their condition is upgraded to "stable" and they no longer need to be listed as a high priority.

	Amanda P. P.O. Box 751 Worth, IL 60482 - U.S.A.
Age: 15 years old Diagnosis: Spina Bifida
Summary: Amanda had major surgery to repair a Spinal Fluid leak. Most recent Update on Amanda - 4/26/08: "Amanda had surgery on May 7th. It was to repair a Spinal Fluid leak that she received while we were in California. Her surgery was a rough one but successful. Her doctor found a metal fragment in the muscle around the spine. When they opened Amanda up, they found the leak immediately and were able to use Amanda's own tissue to patch up the leak. Dr. Frim said they put about 10 layers of patch on. The metal that he saw, is a lead from Amanda's implant. Whatever happened, caused the lead to shift. He said it looks as if the implant is intact....We will have to follow up with that surgeon to make sure. There was not any infection... the swelling was irritation from the CSF. I think that was all he had to report from the OR. He did not un-tether her cord. He left it alone, he said he thought about doing it, but he thinks she needs a break... I agree! As far as how Amanda feels now, she is in a lot of pain! Last night was pretty bad, but not as bad as I expected. She will hopefully move out of the ICU today and back to the floor. This new surgery has been really hard on Amanda, because it has been just six months since she had a tethered cord release, (a release of the spinal cord that can become caught and cause neurological damage). She will be in the hospital for several more weeks, and then she will have to lie flat for at least 15 days. Then hopefully be ready to move on to Rehab where she will probably remain for another couple of months." Tommi (Amanda’s mom)

	Emmie M. P.O. Box 1303 Medford, NJ 08055 - U.S.A.
Age: 8 years old Diagnosis: DiGeorge Syndrome
Summary: Emmie is declining in health and there's nothing else that doctors can do for her. Most recent Update on Emmie - 4/26/08: "The doctors have decided on one more test: Emmie had another spinal tap on Monday, April 21st, to look for Neuro-Transmitor Secreting tumors. So far no results yet. Emmie has still been so sick, every day, and I am growing very weary between getting up all night for her meds & to comfort her as she's always vomiting, and then all day with her being sick and still having to run the house & care for and teach the other children. This has been constant for 7 months now. She is by far the strongest person I know. I don't know HOW she can endure being so sick for so long. Please continue to pray for her! Thank you!!" Kim (Emmie’s mom)

	David K. P.O. Box 3195 Carson City, NV 89702-3195 - U.S.A.
Age: 13 years old Diagnosis: Osteosarcoma
Summary: David just had surgery in his right lung to remove tumors and on April 11th (the day before his Birthday) he will have another surgery to remove tumors in his left lung. Most recent Update on David - 4/1/08: "David had his first thorocotomy on March 28, 2008. It went very well. They removed 9 tumors from his right lung. They had to 'feel' the tumors with their hands to make sure they got them all. Since the tumors are bone, they are easy to feel. He spent 3 days in the PICU, and then he was moved to the surgical floor. He had a nice private room in the PICU, and he has a nice private room on the surgical wing. He is in some pain, they had to break his rib to get access to his lung, but otherwise doing ok. He now can't wait to get the chest tube out. The thorocotomy on his left lung is tentatively scheduled for April 11, 2008. After he is done with these surgeries he will start chemo again. So that is what is happening now. I will update when he has the next surgery and let you know how that goes. Thank you again for all the cards and letters and gifts to him; he loves getting his mail!" Kristi (David’s mom)

	Henry H. PMB #502 8810-C Jamacha Blvd Spring Valley, CA 91977 - U.S.A.
Age: 12 years old Diagnosis: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Summary: Henry relapsed for the second time in December, 2007. He was in the hospital from New Year's Eve until mid-February 2008. He is now going through intense treatment. Most recent Update on Henry - 5/5/08: "Henry was released from Kaiser Hospital after a week stay on Saturday the 26th, 2008. He got a bacterial infection and remains on antibiotics. He currently has no immune system due to the intense chemotherapy treatments he had 2 weeks ago. Right now he is not doing chemo until his immune system and blood counts improve. He is loosing his hair again, which he hates. When his blood counts improve and his immune system is a little better he will go through another intense chemotherapy treatment which is usually a 5 day hospital stay. So far we sit and wait for his counts to come up before they start chemo again. After this next chemo, it should be the last round. By that time I should have had my baby and be out on maternity leave. Sometime after I have the baby the plans are to have my son go through a bone marrow transplant at the City of Hope in Duarte, California which will be very intense, and scary. From what the doctor had told me when he relapsed in December, it's so much harder to cure the cancer, but with faith hope and love, he will do great and get through it. Thank you all for the wonderful cards and stickers! I hadn't checked his P.O. Box in awhile and when I went to check it today he had a lot! Thank you and God bless!" Monica (Henry’s mom)

	Katie K. P.O. Box 831 Florence, SC 29503 - U.S.A.
Age: 13 years old Diagnosis: Neuroblastoma Stage IV
Summary: In the middle of September 2007, Katie's cancer came roaring back, and she developed three new tumors on her head, and multiple tumors in her pelvis. Most recent Update on Katie - 3/5/08: "Katie progressed in December, and we made a decision to enroll her in a clinical trial in Vermont. This is a phase II clinical trial that combines nifurtimox with two chemos that Katie has had before. She started in January, and things have been very, very tough. Katie’s capacity to walk, talk, eat and drink has been severely diminished. After four weeks on the trial, her cancer progressed even more rapidly and we had to start chemo early. Just this past weekend she has come around a little bit and begun eating more, and talking and laughing a little bit. It has been a very difficult time in our home - probably more difficult than at any time in the past eight years! We get mail daily from Make a Child Smile and it makes a huge difference - thank you to everyone. Katie’s spirit is still there and we beg God each day to show us a little bit of our girl, and He has. She is still amazingly strong, and she does everything we ask of her - and that’s a lot. It is the beginning of March 2008, and Katie is enduring skull radiation and she will have chemo again next week. Her presence is a gift to us every single day. Katie will ask sometimes if we regret adopting her, and nothing could be further from the truth. She is the best thing that ever happened to us. We love her more than we knew it was possible to love another person. Thanks for praying for us, and for our wonderful girl. Erika is doing as well as can be expected, and she loves her sissy so much." Michele (Katie’s mom)

	John C. P.O. Box 9660 Pittsburgh, PA 15226 - U.S.A.
Age: 12 years old Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Summary: John relapsed early December 2007. The cancer is all through his brain and spinal column. As of December 21st, John went into remission and a new treatment protocol is being made for him, but his condition is still extremely delicate. Most recent Update on John - 4/16/08: "Well, we were forced back into chemo and we are inpatient now. They used a law that is aimed at people who don’t want to give their blood etc. to say they would have John taken from me if we stopped chemo. This is just so wrong. Pray for John and our whole family. He hasn’t spoken for days." Lorraine (John’s mom)