Sophie May Sewell is a smart, happy, busy, busy 23 month old little girl. She is constantly moving, knows all her letters, numbers 1-10, most of her colors and a lot of shapes. She shares kisses and toys and loves to play in the water or outside.
Sophie had a bump on her back that had been checked by several doctors, several times but none of them were concerned. Sophie’s pediatrician decided in June that a surgeon should look at it. He ordered an MRI but assured us that he was almost 100% sure that it was just extra fascia...connective tissue and no big deal. Sophie underwent an MRI on Wednesday, June 20, 2012.

At that time they decided that it was likely a Neuroblastoma and definitely a big deal. Neuroblastoma is a cancerous tumor in the abdomen, usually near the kidneys. The tumor was about the size of a baseball that went through her spine and in the shape of a dumb bell. Sophie was truly unaffected by the tumor. It didn't hurt her and she was eating, drinking, walking, peeing, pooping and sleeping just fine. She was her usual happy little self. If the bump on her back had not been there, we would likely not have found this out for a long time. After a lot of testing, it was determined that Sophie is battling Neuroblastoma, stage IV, high risk.

Fast forward to now, end of September 2012. Sophie has completed 4 rounds of healing treatments (chemotherapy). She has had too many pokes to count. The healing treatments have reduced the tumor by 78%! She has had several procedures done and on Monday, October 1st, she will undergo her biggest one yet….surgery to remove whatever is left of the tumor. It’s going to be a tricky one, her general surgeon and a neurosurgeon are going in together to try to get it all. It may take 2 different surgeries a few days apart to achieve that.

When surgery is over and she has recovered for a few days, she will begin healing treatment #5. Then it’s an MIBG stem cell transplant, then another healing treatment round, a bunch of scans and a second stem cell transplant. After all of that, she will have radiation and immunotherapy and accutane. Then she will have kicked cancer’s butt in her PNF kicks!

To follow along on her journey, please join us in Supporting Sophie May on her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SupportForSophieMay and her CaringBridge site at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sophiemaysewell/mystory