By: Amanda Ruzicka

“Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand.”~Thomas Aquinas

Mikailah Grace Is a Cancer Survivor! Mikailah was 2 years old when she was diagnosed with a Wilms Tumor, a kidney cancer. This is a photo taken in the local Emergency Room, before her diagnosis. On 08/08/08, my whole family was at Children’s Hospital in Seattle, when they gave us the news. Four days later she had surgery to remove the tumor and her right kidney and ureter. She endured 6 weeks of radiation and 8 long months of chemotherapy. She is the bravest, strongest person I know and to this day keeps me on my toes. She is definitely a fighter!!!

Full Of Sugar and spice and everything nice

Thank heaven for little girls

First Granddaughter

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you.” Winnie the Pooh

“Enjoy the little things, for one day for you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

“Courage is as often the outcome of despair as of hope; in the one case we have nothing to lose, in the other everything to gain.” ~Diane de Poitiers

These were taken at the hospital after surgery

"I complained that I had no shoes till I saw a man that had no feet."

I have learned to appreciate what I have and never take for granted the simple things in life! Being able to start a new day truly is a blessing…

“There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.”Before the chemotherapy Mikailah had only had her hair trimmed. It had started to fall out so rapidly that we had to give her a short hair cut and eventually shave it because it got onto everything.

“God only made so many perfect heads; the rest he covered in hair.”

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”

“It’s hard to be brave,” said Piglet, “When you’re so very small, but sometimes it’s easier to be brave with two” ~Winnie the Pooh

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

Her bald head became our blank canvas.

Believe

When your child gets sick time stops. The only thing that matters is doing whatever you have to do for him or her. You sacrifice your life, your job, your other children, the rest of your family, and anything else that use to make up your life. My thoughts, my emotions, and my physical being were consumed by the care for Mikailah. My other two children were staying with family and friends. My mom was with us and at that time nothing else in the world mattered to us other than Mikailah’s well being. Our weeks were filled with sleepless nights, constant vomiting and nausea, rapid weight loss, fevers that would put her in the ER and the stress of her catching even the slightest viruses. Then eventually an intestinal block that put her in the hospital for twenty-four days and a very scared, very confused two year old girl.

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy” ~Ann Frank

Words cannot express the feelings and emotions you go through with something like this. We are blessed to have the outcome we did.

“The love of family is life’s greatest blessing”

Her hair is slowly growing!

And now we have hair!

Mika

ilah G

race

!

Girls Just want to have fun!

Mikailah, now five years old and in remission continues to go to Children's Hospital for regular check ups. She is a feisty little girl who cares a great deal about those around her. She loves animals and dollies and loves school but most of all she loves spending time with her grammy. She is a social butterfly and prefers to be the center of attention. I don’t know what our life would be like without her and thank God every day that she is here.

“Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.” ~Anthony Robins

We had so much support from our family, our friends, and our community. We were provided a place to stay through the Ronald McDonald house, which help out so many families on a daily basis. There was a fundraiser done by the Kiwanis of La Conner as well as Aly John and the Swinomish youth center. My son Jordan was moved into his friend Nick’s house where Julie (Nick’s mom) treated him as her own. My other son Braxton was 3 months old at the time and moved in with the McCoys. Braxton continues to maintain that strong bond with the McCoys his second family. We also owe a big Thanks to Seattle Children's Hospital for all of their support and professionalism. Without the love, prayers, and support from all the people around us, our journey through this would have been so much harder.