Kisses for Abbigail
Article content
Abbigail Moreau has already had a pretty tough life. And she's only three.
This precious little Pembroke girl was barely two years old when she was diagnosed with Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome (OMS), a rare childhood disease where the immune system tries to battle a neuroblastoma (cancer) and instead attacks the brain. Left untreated, OMS will cause a life of agony for the child.
Her mother, Krystal, remembers when the family first noticed signs of the disease in February, 2012.
"We noticed over a period of a few short days that our vibrant and active little 22 month old, who was previously perfectly healthy, hitting all her developmental milestones," recounted Krystal. "She went from running with her four year old brother to barely crawling at best."
Then on Family Day, her parents took Abbigail to the emergency room at the Pembroke Regional Hospital after she suffered a fall. The doctors grew concerned with her presented symptoms and advised the family to seek further medical help.
"The following morning turned out to be the beginning of a chapter in our lives that no parent imagines would happen to them never mind live through," recalled Krystal. "We found ourselves in a whirlwind of waiting rooms, explaining our last few days to over a dozen different physicians and finally ending up being admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) for three long weeks of tests, procedures, treatments, isolation, diagnoses, questions, fears and tears."
So rare is OMS that it affects one in 10 million people per year, while it affects two to three per cent of children who have cancer. As it turned out, Abbigail had a solid tumor on her left adrenal gland. Fortunately it did not spread. While the tumor was removed, her neurological prognosis was unfavourable with the child facing a rare auto-immune disease which has no cure.
The way Krystal explained it her daughter's brain is an innocent bystander caught in the “cross-fire” between the body’s immune system and the cancer, because antibodies meant to attack tumors, suddenly turn and assault the nervous system. Since her diagnosis, Abbigail has struggled.
"Her days quickly filled with appointments and procedures, not playgroups or preschool," said Krystal. "Words she won’t understand for years, words we as her parents still can’t pronounce, have become a large part of our daily vocabulary; immunosuppressive therapies, chemotherapy and corticosteroids are all a part of her daily life now."
Like most parents, Krystal added she never imagined this happening to her own child and could never have prepared herself for the ordeal her family has undergone.
"The lump in your throat only gets bigger night after night in that hospital room watching your baby girl try to sleep with all of those monitors and IVs pulling at her tender skin," she recounted.
It's been a tough battle for the girl. In the last 15 months, Abbigail has bravely endured over 150 needle pokes, 40 IV accesses, countless ultrasounds, X-rays and regular MRIs to ensure the cancer hasn't returned. She has spent more than 90 days in the hospital, undergone three surgeries, numerous spinal taps/lumbar punctures and endured four more emergency room visits, including one on Christmas day. Nevertheless, Abbigail remains a very active girl who doesn't let anything stop her. Every morning, she loves dressing up in her rubber boots, pink hat and bush coat and heading outdoors. She loves animals and playing with her older brother.
Despite the completion of a second round of chemotherapy in March, Abbigail suffered a relapse. Feeling they have gone back to square one, the family is preparing to take Abbigail to seek further treatment at the National Pediatric Myoclonus Centre in Springfield, Illinois. The physicians there specialize in OMS and offer treatment not available in Canada. Their appointment is scheduled for the first week in June.
A special fundraiser called "Kisses for Abbigail" will be held this Friday, May 24 at the Rankin Cultural and Recreation Centre. The evening features entertainment from John Priebe Band. There will be a silent auction, games and door prizes. Tickets are going for $10. Doors open at 8 p.m.
"Abbigail inspires me," Krystal remarked. "Abbigail has a strong will. She is stubborn and she doesn’t give up. In my heart, I believe this is why she has come this far and hasn’t let this cancer or this disease beat her or bring her down. She lives each day to its fullest, not taking anything for granted, appreciating the simple things and always smiling through her tears and fears."
For tickets to Kisses for Abbigail Fundraiser, you can request them through e-mail at dapeplinskie@hotmail.com. For more information, go to the website: www.kissesforabbigail.com or check out the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KissesForAbbigail.
Sean Chase is a Daily Observer multimedia journalist