September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month
By Tonya Morris
Mommy to Lana
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)
We went to a doctor’s appointment, and I told the doctor she was developing “birth marks.” After showing picture proof that she wasn’t born with them, another doctor came in and did an exam on Lana. When she was done, she brought in a large medical book that was opened to the page of the requirements for NF1. She told me that Lana may have this. I was told to go home and pack as she may have a stomach tumor that has been causing her 6 months of pain.
“I’m not sure how long you will be there. You will need to pack as much as you can. Good luck to you two.” Those were the last words I remember before feeling like my whole world was ending.
Having the optic tumor and the sudden “birth marks” that appeared, amongst other things, Lana was diagnosed with NF1. Three months later, we did an MRI and the tumor showed growth. We immediately started chemotherapy at St. Jude’s. At the time we thought we were so lucky to have caught it early on before it became an issue.