Happy birthday Emmalyn!
In western Maryland, Emmalyn celebrated her 11th birthday and is Casey Cares' 775th birthday this year!
Casey Cares knows that for a critically ill child, each birthday is a special milestone celebrating life. For the children in our programs, it not only marks another year, but it also demonstrates a great achievement. Casey Cares staff and volunteers work hard to send out each of our kids a special birthday package through our Birthday Blast program - we send over 1,000 a year! This simple act of kindness delivers joy and hope to our kids who are undergoing treatment.
Emmalyn Battles Cancer
Annemarie, Emmalyn’s mother states, that her daughter is battling “Group III, Stage III parameningeal spindle cell Rhabdomyosarcoma. Her first tumor was on the left sinus and second tumor is in the middle of her sinuses and on her optical nerve which caused her to have double vision and wear an eye patch.”
She shares that Emmalyn was diagnosed in March 2023 and finished her first treatment in January 2024 which included chemotherapy and proton radiation.
Annemarie says, “In January 2023, when Emmalyn was 9 years old, she was experiencing severe pain in her head and ears. The doctors thought it was a bad ear infection and she had six rounds of antibiotics. She also had tubes put in her ears which offered no relief. After 6 weeks of pain and going to numerous doctors, she started to feel numbness in her cheek and we brought her to the Emergency Room. They performed a CT scan showing a tumor right away and she was admitted and started treatment immediately.”
From there, “in March 2024, she unexpectedly went into hemolysis, destroying her own blood. In May 2024 she started experiencing pain on the other side of her head. After doing scans, we found out the cancer was still there. She started her second treatment plan of chemotherapy and photon radiation in June 2024,” Annemarie adds.
Currently, Emmalyn has completed 42 weeks of chemotherapy, 33 proton radiation treatments, and 18 photon radiation treatment and “is a true warrior” according to Annemarie.
The mother of three notes the difficulties of being a parent to a critically ill child. Annemarie explains, “One of the biggest challenges is having family time. We are going to so many appointments and hospital stays with Emmalyn with either one or both of her parents. The other kids miss out on mom and dad time in addition to family dinner, being tucked in at night by both parents, and getting one on one attention from each parent. Many times when Emmalyn is home she isn’t feeling well and one parent is with her at all times. We try to rotate who is at the hospital overnight, but it’s just not the same."
"We also try to plan activities with each child and family activities when she is feeling well, but this has to be very last minute. We can’t make plans. Every single week she gets chemo. There are no breaks. And within that time frame she has specific days that her counts drop. On top of that she develops fevers with unplanned hospital stays for a minimum of 48 hours. We have to be very flexible and aware of how she is feeling at all times. Emmalyn and her siblings also miss each other a lot being a part so much," she continues.
Casey Cares - Here to Help!
Having been part of Casey Cares programs since 2023, Emmalyn has received new pajamas, Movie & Pizza Night packages, trips to the National Aquarium and Monster Jam, attended a Unicorn World event, and more.
“Maize Quest was our favorite activity! It was the first experience we went on with Casey Cares. It was our “first” family experience during treatment. So, we hold a special place in our heart for that day. It was the first time we forgot Emmalyn was undergoing treatment and everyone in the family had fun,” says Annemarie.
Annemarie also appreciates the “At-Home Movie Nights and Bingo Night! The movie nights are such a cool idea! It’s a great opportunity for family time and a fun experience with ordering pizza, popcorn, and candy. The endless prizes for Bingo were amazing and the kids loved winning! It was so fun for the whole family! There was even a meal provided!”
As Emmalyn turns eleven, her birthday celebrations will take place at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Children's Center where she just received her present from Casey Cares!
“Unfortunately, Emmalyn is in treatment and has developed a couple infections. Therefore, her birthday plans are postponed for a couple weeks,” Annemarie states.
Want to support more programs and fun activities for critically ill children like Emmalyn? Donate here!