My name is Kate.  When I was 18 months old, I started falling down.  My head started to tilt.  I talked less and less, stayed awake all night and had awful temper tantrums.  Within weeks, my Mom -- yes, my Mom -- diagnosed me with Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome (OMS), a condition that affects one (1) child out of 10 million.  Doctors found that I had a neuroblastoma, a cancer that most commonly affects children ages five (5) and younger.  My immune system (you know, B cells and their friends) probably kept my neuroblastoma in check.  However, my immune system also attacked my brain.  I needed help.

And help came.  Dr. Mark Gorman at Boston Children's Hospital began treating me.  Using chemotherapy and iVIG, night turned into day.  I could walk and talk again.  My head sat up straight.  I still don't sleep well, I have a hard time controlling my temper and I send my Mom and Dad to a lot of time outs. 

Aunt Chickie is one of the reasons that I am getting better.  Since 2013, I have spent a lot of time in the hospital: stuck with needles, hooked up to IV tubes, confined to a chair or bed.  For a lot of this, I was not interested in watching TV.  During those times, Aunt Chickie read to me and colored with me.  She engaged me and distracted me.  She brought me mac 'n' cheese.  She kept me, my Nana and my Mom company.  The last two (2) years have been very hard for me; Aunt Chickie made them easier.

Sadly, now that she has passed, Aunt Chickie will not be with us day to day, but she will be in our hearts.  She passed away from cancer.  I had cancer, too.  Some doctors think that OMS somehow prevents the spread of the cancer but they are not sure.  OMS is so rare that not a lot of money is available for research.  Our amazing doctor, Mark Gorman, is dedicated to learning more about OMS.  With your help, maybe -- just maybe -- he will discover that I have something inside of me that can help fight cancer.  With your help, maybe other kids and loved ones won't have to go through what Aunt Chickie and I have faced. 

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for visiting this page, and giving a gift toward OMS research in memory of Aunt Chickie.