Ellie

Ellie and her sister Christmas eve 2007

Ok, so I didn't exactly get the information the way a billboard normally communicates, but indirectly it worked. I complained about seeing the sign with Ellie's picture on it, but not being able to make out anything other than her name and the fact that she had a brain tumor. Someone who knows Ellie stumbled across the post and gave me the details. I thought I'd share them with you.

Ellie Thanksgiving 2008

Ellie is a beautiful 5 year old girl. She has a little sister and a new baby brother. Ellie loves to have fun and play with her cousins and do the usual 5 year old things. But Ellie has an inoperable tumor in her brain stem. She was diagnosed in April of last year. The usual survival rate for her tumor type is 5-10%, and most children live less than a year after their diagnosis. Since May, this sweet little girl has been going through treatments to try to shrink or kill the tumor. There has been some progress. It initially shrunk about 30% and has been remaining stable.

I grieve for her and her family. Five is supposed to be a happy, care-free age. Five year olds are not supposed to know what cancer and radiation and chemotherapy are, let alone experience them. While we were celebrating H's 2nd birthday, Ellie was having her first radiation treatment. While we were thoroughly enjoying our Christmas celebration, Ellie's family was wondering how many more they would have with her.

Go visit her websites here and here to learn more, shed a few tears for them, and hold them up in your prayers. It would take a miracle to cure her, but God is a God of miracles. The family's medical bills must be astronomical. If you're able, you can go here to donate something to help them. You can sign up for emails when her journal is updated by clicking the box under the heading "journal" on her Caringbridge site.

The Lord bless you and keep you, Ellie!