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Girl fighting cancer, finding happiness |
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Friday, 25 December 2009 |
By LESLIE MIELKE
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FIRTH — This Christmas season, students in the three schools in Firth and community members raised $2,600 for four-year-old Emma Ivie. “That’s a lot of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,” said A. W. Johnson Elementary administrator Dave Mecham.
Emma has neuroblastoma, a cancer that attacks children.
During the first part of December, she was undergoing more chemotherapy because cancer was discovered in her legs, vertebrae and skull.
The next hurdle to overcome was Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), an infection that causes inflammation of the lower airways and pneumonia.
Emma was extremely sick and remained in ICU for eight days, said Marsha Ivie, her grandmother. “It was so hard for her not to be able to leave her room at all.”
Emma was able to come home last Friday.
She is on antibiotics and IV fluids, Ivie said. She needed to return to the hospital each day to have her blood tested.
“She is so much happier to be home,” Grandma said.
Ivie said, Emma has started to lose a lot of her hair. “Emma looked at all the hair in her hand and said, ‘It will be okay; it will grow back.’”
“She is really amazing how much she remembers and how she finds happiness in the simple things of life, like riding her bike and feeding the geese at the park,” Grandma said.
“We are so grateful for St. Jude and all the great doctors and nurses who care so much about children,” Ivie said.
“We appreciate all the great support and kindness from the community, all the teachers and children at the school,” Ivie said. “I am so grateful for all the love and support from so many wonderful people.”
To date, Emma has endured 13 chemo treatments and three surgeries, Ivie said.
Emma is the daughter of Jared and Kerie Ivie. Her paternal grandparents are Jerry and Marsha Ivie from Firth and her maternal grandparents are Gary and Kathy McFadden from Idaho Falls.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 28 December 2009 )
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