^^Angel^^ Alexa W. - Quilt Finished in 2007
Born: January 26, 1999 - Passed: May 15, 2009
Illness: Recurrent Anaplastic Astrocytoma
A Thank-You from Alexa's Family!
Written on February 4, 2007
Dear Cathy, Vicki, and all the Wonderful Stitchers,
Just in time for Alexa's 8th birthday, she received the most amazing gift -- a true gift of love. We do not have enough words of thanks nor praise for this true work of art. To say that pictures don't do it justice is an understatement. All I can say is that it is perfect, a true representation of our princess. Every square really is a bit of Alexa's personality, and the material used to put it all together is perfect. We love the crowns!
We feel the need to thank each and every one of you, so here goes: Connie from Florida; Missy from Florida; Susan from Clovis, California; Alex Jones from Texas; Trudy from Texas; Annie from Maryland; Joan from Arizona; Janis Ardanowsky from Michigan; Julie from Michigan; Dotty from Idaho; Debbie from South Carolina; Sandra from Florida; Julie from Pennsylvania; Kay from West Virginia; Nancy from Illinois; Jackie from Texas; Kaye from Oklahoma; BJK; Barbara from Texas; Rachel from Oklahoma; Lori from Pennsylvania; Dana from California; and a SPECIAL thanks to Vicki from South Carolina. You did such an amazing job!! We feel so grateful to be the recipient of such an awesome gift.
The photos I have included were taken literally as Alexa was receiving chemotherapy. You can really see how COZY she feels while wrapped in such love. This is truly a family heirloom that we will cherish forever...THANK YOU!!!!
With much love and gratitude,
Denise and Anthony W.
Alexa's Story
written by mom Denise
Alexa Rachael was born January 26, 1999, on her paternal grandmother's 71st birthday. It was the best birthday present anybody could receive.
Being our first child, to say she was spoiled is an understatement. She was the perfect baby in every way. Our life was very good up until the time of Alexa's 5th birthday.
It was a Friday night in 2004. Alexa was upstairs playing in our bed, while I was downstairs stuffing the goodie bags for her birthday party the next morning. We heard a loud thump followed by silence. As Anthony and I were running up the stairs, we heard the shrilling screams.
Although we saw no head trauma, Alexa was on the floor screaming and holding her head. We automatically decided to take her to our local emergency room, where they repeatedly assured us it was "just a concussion." After being there, what seemed like forever, with a child that appeared to be sleeping (even though I knew it was more than just sleeping), they finally took her into the Cat scan machine. I was not allowed in the room with her because I was nine weeks pregnant with her little brother.
The next three days from that point on were pure torture that no parent should ever have to endure.
They saw a mass on the cat scan. She was immediately intubated because they then realized, as I knew, that she was in a coma and not just sleeping. We were then airlifted to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Once we arrived, the neurosurgeon told us words we still hear echoing in our head, "she might not make it through the night."
They had no idea what was wrong with her except for the fact that she had massive bleeding in her brain. After a series of tests that all came back negative, they thought it must be a tumor and operated. This was 1/27/04, her fist brain surgery.
What was thought to be a massive hemorrhage was actually a tumor. A blood vessel within the tumor burst, thus causing the symptoms. Pathology came back as Anaplastic Astrocytoma, a grade III cancer, which mainly occurs in adults.
We then were put on a course of chemotherapy which made Alexa very ill. She had to have a feeding tube put in because she got down to 30 pounds from vomiting so much. After four rounds of chemo, Alexa then had a stem cell transplant. We were in isolation for five weeks as Alexa received a year's worth of chemo in six days. Her bone marrow would not be able to recover, but for the infusion of her stem cells.
This treatment seemed to keep the aggressive cancer at bay for ten months. In May of 2005, we found out the cancer had returned. Alexa then had her second brain surgery and went through a course of seven weeks of radiation, in which Alexa was put under anesthesia every single day for seven weeks while they administered the radiation.
This, again, kept the cancer at bay for ten more months. In June of 2006, we found out that the cancer had, again, returned. They believed it to be low grade and not the high grade cancer that she had had in the past; so we were able to travel during the summer.
Alexa then had her third eight-hour brain resection on 8/3/06. It was not the low grade as anticipated, but the same grade III Anaplastic Astrocytoma. She is now undergoing experimental chemotherapy and biological therapy since more conventional methods have not worked.
Through all her surgeries and treatments, Alexa remains brave and strong. She just wants to be a kid and play, and so she does. She truly is an inspiration to all that meet her.
