Treated at:
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Ten-year-old Elizabeth “Pearce” Quesenberry is quite the athlete. She loves to play volleyball and run track and knows how to push herself to reach her goals. But when Pearce started to get headaches nearly every day, she knew something wasn’t right. At fi rst, Pearce was afraid to tell her parents. But then things got worse—and she knew she had no choice.

Pearce was taken to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where doctors soon discovered the cause of her headaches: A medulloblastoma tumor. The lemon-sized tumor, which sat on the base of her brain, was removed shortly thereafter. Just 4 days after surgery, Peace began the fi rst of 31 rounds of radiation treatment. Pearce is currently receiving chemotherapy treatments, and her hope shines brighter than ever. She looks forward to the day when she is again able to do the things she used to wholeheartedly—getting back to the sports she loves. Ever-focused on the future, Pearce wants to be a forensic scientist or a judge on the U.S. Supreme Court when she grows up.

Treated at:
Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Before he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2005, Austin DeGroot of DePere, Wis., played every sport under the sun. A frightening diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia changed all that in an instant.

Austin's 8-year-old world suddenly shifted from football fields and basketball courts to bone marrow aspirations, spinal taps, surgery and the rigors of intensive chemotherapy. Because of his illness, this once active child soon found himself with no hair on his head and no energy to play the sports he loved.

Austin didn't skip a beat – literally. He simply transferred his energy and passion to music. As his parents, Sue and Bill DeGroot, explain, "The cancer took his sports but it can't take his music."

A confident young singer who writes his own music, Austin earned first-place honors at a national singing competition and is working on an original CD. With his music to drive him forward, this determined 11-year-old is ready to take on the world.

Treated at:
Kosair Children's Hospital

Carter DeWitt was a healthy and happy as a 3-year-old could be. He never even had so much as an ear infection until one morning in February of 2002 when he woke up screaming in pain. After a series of blood tests showed an elevated white blood cell count, Carter was sent to Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, KY, for a bone marrow aspiration. It confirmed the worst: Carter had leukemia.

For the next nine months, Carter endured intense chemotherapy and monthly spinal taps at Kosair. Treatments continued for two and a half years, with frequent fevers and infections keeping him at the hospital. It was with relief that treatment was completed in April of 2005.

But things were not yet in the clear for Carter. The leukemia treatments caused him much sinus trouble, so specialists performed an adenoidectomy. But Carter did not recover well from the surgery. This time, his white blood cell count was low and kept dropping. His leukemia had returned two years later.

Because Carter experienced a relapse, his treatments have become more intense and he spends more time in the hospital. His treatment will continue until August of 2008. Despite it all, Carter, now 9, will continue to be the fun-loving and brave boy he always is, playing video games, swimming, riding his bike and scooter, and playing catch with his family.

Treated at:
Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital

Janet Jones-Duffey has always been a runner. Nearly six feet tall, Janet has used her long legs to set records for her high school track team. In 2006, a rare form of cancer took away her ability to run, but not her ability to conquer obstacles of every kind.

It began as a pain in her right knee. Janet thought it was just a sports injury, but it turned out to be much worse. She had a tumor on her tibia. Often the illness leads to amputation, but Janet was lucky. Instead she underwent a limb salvage operation that included a knee replacement and a titanium rod in her tibia. Though Janet was able to save her affected leg, she would never again be able to run.

It was remarkable the way the community rallied around Janet. There were walk-a-thons, scholarships and fund raisers. Janet's high school sold wristbands with the Latin phrase "vulneratus non victus"—meaning "wounded, not conquered."

Throughout her ordeal, Janet was more than determined to stand up to cancer. When chemotherapy took her hair, she bought lime-green and bright purple wigs. While most patients wait to begin rehabilitation, Janet began on her own in the hospital hallway. And at her high school graduation ceremony, Janet not only made it, she walked across the stage as valedictorian.

Treated at:
Children's Hospital Los Angeles

In June of 2007, 5–year–old Dylan David had bouts of nausea, vomiting, and headaches. These periods became more frequent and more severe, and his family noticed he was falling more frequently, having trouble writing his letters, and had become more violent and irritable. The family pediatrician found an ear infection that might be the cause, but also feared it could be something worse.

His condition didn't improve so Dylan was scheduled to have an EKG and an MRI. Prior to the date of the two tests, Dylan threw up in his sleep, but it did not wake him. Fearing that he might choke to death, the MRI was moved up to that night. The next morning Dylan was taken to the emergency room to have someone read the MRI. A malignant tumor the size of a ping pong ball was found near his spinal cord.

After removing the tumor through surgery, Dylan underwent chemotherapy over the next several months. Though he continues to go through occupational, speech and physical therapy, his doctors feel he is finished with prolonged hospital stays for good. What's more, checkpoint MRIs and spinal taps have showed no cancerous growth or residual tumors of any kind. In the words of his family, Dylan has kicked his cancer to the curb.

Treated at:
UC Davis Children's Hospital

Times were hectic for the Eller family in July of 2005. They had recently moved to a new town and a short time later they welcomed their fifth child into the world. Two weeks later, one of their older daughters, Cheyanne, was diagnosed with leukemia.

Cheyanne was taken to UC Davis Cancer Center and was admitted for nearly two months. Not living nearby, her family shuffled between living in motel rooms and the Ronald McDonald house. They admit being very scared for Cheyanne during her leukemia treatments, but say they were so thankful that they were at UC Davis. The staff rallied around the family and Cheyanne and helped them feel calm throughout the stressful and frightening ordeal.

Cheyanne is now in remission and only sees her doctor every two months. Soon she will stop talking the last of her daily pills. Now glad that she is out of the hospital, back in school and cancer–free, Cheyanne likes to play with her sisters, ride the quad, and visit with her family.

Treated at:
St. Louis Children's Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center

Ten-year-old Samantha Roberts was born one month premature, but otherwise healthy and gave doctors little cause for concern. She was diagnosed as diabetic as a toddler, but that too turned out to be the least of her worries.

Just barely adjusting to a life full of diabetes treatments, Samantha's body again began acting strangely. Soon she complained of pain in her right leg and had a low-grade fever. When she became unable to walk, Samantha's was taken to her doctor, who immediately sent her to St. Louis Children's Hospital Emergency Room. The resulting diagnosis was much worse than a muscle cramp or broken bone. Samantha was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Samantha's treatment lasted for an agonizing 130 weeks—nearly three years of her young life. Because of the treatments she received, Samantha developed Perthes' disease. In years to come she will likely have arthritis and in need of a hip replacement at a young age.

Today, Samantha's prognosis is excellent. She remains in remission and despite all she's been through, Samantha has never lost her zest for life. She is an energetic girl who enjoys Girl Scouts, bike riding, drawing, and playing with her Polly Pocket and Barbie dolls.

Treated at:
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

At 6 years old, Stephen seems wise beyond his years—an inner strength on which he's had to rely. In July 2006, while on vacation with his family, bruises started to appear on Stephen's legs. His mother, Katy, didn't think much of it at first, but her instincts as a nurse began to kick in when the bruises spread from Stephen's legs to several other parts of his body. She took him to see a doctor, who ran blood tests and found serious abnormalities in Stephen's blood.

Stephen was immediately transported to the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Once there, he was diagnosed with Burkitt's leukemia – a rare and highly aggressive form of cancer that affects only about 400 children in the United States per year.

For the next seven months, Stephen was hospitalized many times for intensive chemotherapy treatments and side effects related to the treatments. Although he missed much of kindergarten, Stephen was still promoted to first grade. He is now a happy, healthy boy who is cancer–free, thanks to the care he received at Children's. Healthcare of Atlanta.

Treated at:
Children's Medical Center

Abraheem Khan is a fighter. After watching the movie "The Land Before Time," he saw that all of the dinosaur characters overcame every difficulty they were faced with. He began to say he was strong and scary like the menacing T–Rex, and would only answer to that name. "My name is not Abraheem," he would say. "My name is T–Rex." And for good reason. This 7–year–old ferociously attacks leukemia like he is looking for his prey.

T-Rex was diagnosed with leukemia just after his third birthday. Despite all of the chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he relapsed twice two years later. After looking for a bone marrow donor for a transplant for months, he was finally able to have a stem cell transplant. Now, thankfully, T–Rex continues to do very well.

Throughout all of the painful and frightening treatments used to treat this illness, T–Rex roars just like his namesake and stomps down anything in his way.

Treated at:
Bay State Medical Center

In May of 2007, unexplained bruises appeared on Justin Kie-Burdick's chest and scalp. When his abdomen became distended, Justin's parents decided to take him to a pediatrician. Though his symptoms were strange and unexpected, the diagnosis came as a complete shock—Justin had leukemia.

Within an hour of diagnosis, Justin and his family were on their way to Children's Hospital Boston for further testing and the induction phase of treatment began. He stayed in the hospital for over 21 difficult days. By the end of June, Justin was finally in remission. But Justin's ordeal wasn't over yet. He continues to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments and periodic lumbar punctures.

Through it all, Justin has remained a normal, happy kid. He's a senior in high school, where he loves to go to school basketball and football games and hang out with his friends. His goal is to have as normal a life as possible in spite of his struggles with leukemia. An excellent student, Justin plans to attend college and some day become a high school history teacher.

Treated at:
Children's National Medical Center

Independence Day festivities had to be cut short for Amanda Merrill and her family. On the weekend of July 4, 2004, Amanda had a small lump on her leg. She was taken to Children's National Medical Center for a routine X–ray. But when they received a call from the doctor, they knew it wasn't good news.

It was clear that Amanda had bone cancer, but a biopsy was needed to determine what kind and how to treat it. Initially she was thought to have Osteosarcoma, but test revealed that it was a much more dangerous kind and very rare for a child so young. Amanda had Ewings Sarcoma, which left only one option for treatment. She would not only have to endure some of the most difficult chemotherapy offered, she would have to amputate her leg.

Amanda is now out of the hospital, in kindergarten, and doing remarkably well. With the help of a new prosthetic leg, her family can barely keep up with her.

Treated at:
the Children's Hospital At Albany Center

Along with homework, spiders and snakes, Faith Swanson hates finger sticks and shots. But she puts on a brave face while getting these treatments for leukemia. Her mom and dad buy her stuffed animals if she doesn't cry during finger sticks, and Faith loves adding them to her collection of toys.

Faith had just turned four years old when she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She was hospitalized in the PICU of the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center upon beginning treatment, but Faith again looked on the bright side: "I like my doctors and nurses because they are helping me to get better," she has said. "And I can do arts and crafts when I get my treatment."

Nearly six years old, Faith is a happy, active kindergartner – a real social butterfly who enjoys play dates with her friends. She is in remission, but will continue to receive monthly chemotherapy treatment until September of 2008. Until then, Faith will stay busy playing with her dolls and keeping up with her two older siblings, Connor and Caitlin.