Season of Giving With Victoria - 2022

Dear Neighbor,

I would like to share with you my daughter’s journey with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), a rare form of cancer with lots of inflammation-like symptoms. While this journey has been difficult, it is full of courage, hope, and resiliency.

Victoria was born a healthy baby. Since infancy she has been full of life with a happy and outgoing disposition. She is our little social butterfly that loves being around others and enjoys dancing to music and playing with her border collies. Little did we know that her energy, love of life, and desire to be around others would be needed to help her through her battle with LCH.

In February of 2021, around the age of 9 months old, my husband noticed a raised bump on the top of Victoria’s head. Out of precaution, we took her to see her pediatrician who advised us to watch it and most likely it would go down. Two weeks later, when her bump was still there and a second bump on her forehead appeared, we took her back to the pediatrician for another evaluation. At this time, we were sent to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for follow-up x-rays of her skull. That afternoon, we heard words that no parent wants to hear -- your daughter’s x-ray had some abnormal spots on her skull, and you will need to follow-up with an oncologist. Two days later, my husband and I were meeting with the oncology team at Children’s Hospital. After additional diagnostic tests and a biopsy of the bump on her skull, Victoria had a port placed in her chest and began chemotherapy treatment.

Because LCH is considered a rare form of cancer, not a lot of doctors have treated it. However, because Victoria’s oncologist has successfully treated LCH and Children’s Hospital had the necessary technology to do so, we were blessed to be able to remain in Knoxville for her treatment.

Twenty months later and more than 70 chemotherapy infusions, Victoria has officially entered the maintenance phase of chemotherapy treatment. As of recently, Victoria’s latest scan showed no sign of cancer in her bones. The road to get to where we are now has not been easy. We had to treat her initial LCH in the bones, additional lesions when the LCH progressed, and more recently address LCH in her digestive tract.

When Victoria was first diagnosed, the thought of potential hospital stays, and outpatient visits was daunting. However, our experience at Children’s Hospital has been one full of hope and support. The nurses and doctors have been with us through the ups and downs, and they have stood beside us as we watch Victoria grow and achieve major milestones both in her developmental stages and cancer journey.

One of my fondest memories at the hospital is her second birthday. Victoria was in the middle of a two-month hospital stay and during one of the worst stages of her treatment. Instead of just letting her birthday pass, the wonderful team at ETCH set up a room for her to celebrate with myself, my husband, and her grandparents. This was a much-needed moment of light and happiness which helped our family stay positive during a stressful time.

Thanks to the care and support from Children’s Hospital, it’s staff and patients, Victoria has maintained her sense of happiness and joy of life throughout her journey. You can help children like Victoria by making a donation to Children’s Hospital – so they can continue to help kids live healthier and better lives in East Tennessee.

Love, Andrea

Victoria's Mom