Maddie’s Mission

08/10/2025

8/4/25 - **Day 29/113** (Maintenance Therapy (Cycle 7 of 7))

Today marks a huge milestone — after 887 days, Maddie had her chemo port removed. She’s been fighting cancer since 2/27/23, and we are finally in the home stretch. She’ll keep taking her oral chemo through the end of this month, and if all her blood tests look good, my girl will finally get to ring that cancer bell. 🔔

We’re not completely out of the woods yet, but we’re so close. When Maddie was first diagnosed, 2 ½ years felt like a lifetime away… and now, here we are. It’s surreal, humbling, and overwhelming all at once. Watching her strength, resilience, and spirit through this journey has been nothing short of inspiring.

The end of treatment is near, and I couldn’t be more proud of my warrior.🎗️🧡

08/05/2025

2 years ago today, Maddie completed her last inpatient chemo treatment—one of the biggest milestones in her journey. And today, on this very same day, she had her chemo port removed.

It’s hard to put into words what that means. That little port was her lifeline through some of the scariest and most difficult moments we’ve ever faced. Seeing it removed today felt like closing a chapter we’ve been holding our breath through for far too long.

We’ve been so incredibly fortunate that Maddie’s treatment has gone as well as it has over these past 2 ½ years. It hasn’t always been easy—far from it—but she has handled it with more strength, courage, and grace than I could have ever imagined.

Now, we’re standing at the edge of something we’ve waited so long for: the end of treatment is right around the corner.

My heart is full of pride, gratitude, and so much hope. Maddie, you are everything🧡🎗️

08/03/2025

Here we go again… Maddie is losing her hair for the 5th time since starting treatment in March 2023. 💔

She first lost it in early 2023 after her diagnosis, then again in April and December of 2024, and this past April — and now, once more. Each time, she gets so excited watching it grow back, only to go through the disappointment of losing it all over again. It never gets easier.

The good news is she’s nearing the end of treatment and should be completely done with her oral chemo by the end of this month. We’re hoping that once the meds are out of her system, the shedding will finally stop.

She’s handled every setback with more strength than most adults. But still… ugh. Watching your child go through this over and over never gets any less painful🧡🎗️

07/28/2025

Tough day for Maddie today—she had a pretty bad fall at EDS and ended up breaking her nose. Thankfully, it’s not a severe break and won’t require any surgical intervention, but it does have to heal on its own. We’ve been instructed to manage the swelling and discomfort with ice or a cold washcloth, and Tylenol if needed—as long as she’s fever-free.

As with most injuries, it’ll likely look worse before it starts getting better, but Maddie’s handling it all like a champ. We just have to be extra cautious—any bump or hit to her nose could cause it to start bleeding again.

And on top of all that, she’s also starting to shed again. Just another reminder of everything her little body is going through. But even with all of this, she continues to stay so strong and resilient. We’re incredibly proud of her🧡

07/17/2025

7/15/25 - **Day 8/113** (Maintenance Therapy (Cycle 7 of 7))

Today was Maddie’s last IV chemo treatment — such a huge milestone, but it came with some heavy updates.

Her ANC dropped from 1500 to around 950, which could signal the start of a virus, but right now it’s a waiting game. Her hemoglobin also dropped from 10.10 to 8.6 in just a week, so they’ll be checking labs again in about two weeks. If it falls to 7 or below, she’ll need a blood transfusion before they can safely do her port removal surgery.

They also ran a PTT (Partial Thromboplastin Time) test to measure how long it takes her blood to clot. The result came back at 144, but for surgery, it needs to be 43 or below. They’ll retest it soon — but this time, not through her port. It’ll need to be drawn via IV, which Maddie won’t be happy about. I told her Tuesday would be her last “pokey,” and now I have to break that promise. I know how painful IVs can be, and it breaks my heart to see her go through more.

She’s come so far. We’re almost at the finish line, but these final steps are some of the hardest. Please keep her in your thoughts as we navigate what’s next🧡

07/14/2025

07/14/2025

7/8/25 - **Day 1/113** (Maintenance Therapy (Cycle 7 of 7))

Today was a big day for Maddie — her oncology appointment went well, and her ANC came back at 1500. This marks her 2nd to last IV chemo. If all goes as planned, she’ll receive her final IV Vincristine on Tuesday, and that will be her last clinic appointment for IV chemo.

It’s hard to believe we’re finally here, after everything she’s been through. The journey has been long and filled with so many ups and downs, but Maddie has shown nothing but strength and resilience every step of the way.

Please continue to keep her in your prayers as we head into this final stretch. God willing, Tuesday we will be one step closer to the end of this chapter.

06/29/2025

Trying out the toys for her bday party gift bags

06/29/2025

6/10/25 - **Day 85/113** (Maintenance Therapy (Cycle 6 of 7))

Today, Maddie had her levels checked. Her ANC was at 2100. All medication stays the same.

We’re coming up on the final stretch of Maddie’s treatment! The procedure she had back in April was her last one, and her upcoming appointments to administer chemo and check her levels will be her final clinic visits. If everything stays on track (fingers crossed🤞🏻), we’re hoping to schedule surgery to have her port removed soon.

She’ll continue with oral chemo and her other meds through the end of August, and then—after 2 ½ long, emotional years—this chapter will finally come to a close.

We’re feeling every possible emotion right now, but most of all, we’re incredibly proud of Maddie’s strength. She’s been such a warrior through it all—and she’s very ready to celebrate the end of treatment with a trip to the beach!

Thank you all for the continued love, prayers, and support. It’s meant more than we can ever express🧡

06/03/2025

We had an unexpected trip to the ER earlier today because Maddie had a slight fever. In her world, anything 100.4° or higher is considered a “cancer fever” — a medical emergency that requires immediate care.

Thankfully, we were taken back quickly, but what followed was heartbreaking. They attempted to access her port twice, both times unsuccessfully. The first nurse kept moving the needle around, saying she was “on the side of it,” while Maddie cried out in pain. The second attempt missed completely, and Maddie began to bleed heavily after the needle was removed. Watching her hurt and scared, I broke down and had to turn away — and demanded they call someone from oncology.

Over an hour after arriving (though protocol is to administer antibiotics within 30 minutes), they finally got her port accessed on the third try, labs were drawn, and antibiotics given.

Her ANC was 800, we were told it’s just a virus and needs to run its course so we were cleared to go home. All other tests (X-ray, RSV, COVID, flu) came back negative. For now, we monitor closely and will recheck labs next week.

These days are hard, but Maddie is so strong — braver than anyone should ever have to be
🧡🎗️