Our sweet Anya approached us, her parents, in early April 2012 complaining of stomach pain and a pain in her side. She asked for some medicine to help her tummy ache. She never displayed a temperature or anything more than simple aches and pains of a growing nine year old child.

     After a few more nights of complaints though, Anya asked to see the family doctor. We took her to the Doctors office the next morning. When we got there we discovered that she needed an x-ray to determine what was bothering her left side. When the X-ray came back we looked at it together and there was a strange shape to her left hip bone. The Doctor ordered an MRI to be done at Children's Hospital in St. Paul. Anya and her Dad went to the hospital. She did great in the MRI tube, but her nerves were getting to her as she reached the half way point. Anya asked that her Dad sit in the room and hold her hand while she finished the test. It was a really special moment for Dad.

      Dad received a call from the doctor's office during Anya's half-way-point break. The Doctor said that there was some sort of abnormality on the scans and that she wanted to meet with Mom and Dad the following day. When we went to the office the next morning the Doctor confirmed that Anya has a tumor 4cm X 5cm X 5cm in her left hip and that it was probably cancer. Our worst nightmare was confirmed. The Doctor said that most likely it is Ewing's sarcoma, but further testing would need to be done to absolutely confirm the results. She stated that our Oncology team from Anya's little brother Evan, was already alerted and working on the problem. Our family is dealing with a second case of cancer in less than two years. Thankfully though we have teams of wonderful doctors and surgeons working on this difficult situation.