SURVIVOR, KATE JACOBS, MINNESOTA, USA

NED forever Kate!!
Kate only 4 days before being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in 2007

Karen on her Grand Canyon Trip -she dedicated each day to a warrior, survivor and angel - this specific day included our precious Deqlan!

Oh what a gorgeous girl Kate is – the most beautiful red hair, the most gorgeous smile, and a fighting spirit!

We met Kate and her Mommy Karen through the wonders of cyberspace a few months after Deqlan was diagnosed. Kate and Deqlan are very close in age and went through very similar treatment and very similar times! Wow, what a long way we have come and i am so proud to still have contact with Karen !

Kate lives with her amazing Mommy Karen and Dad and brother Ryan in Minnesota, USA

Camp Jacobs has also taken on many many projects to fight Neuroblastoma. Karen is a very important part of the Band of Parents, which raises funds to get that cure!!!
· Karen and her Aunt also recently completed Paddling for a Cure :
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In the two years that have passed since Kate's diagnosis I continue to be amazed and frustrated by the very low levels of funding that go towards pediatric cancer research. Similarly, not enough money goes towards the development of new, better and less toxic treatments. That's where my next awareness and fundraising effort PADDLING FOR A CURE comes in.
This May, my Aunt Maryellen and I will paddle raft the entire length of the Grand Canyon over two weeks time. It's over 250 miles and we will cross more than 100 rapids, including the wildest navigable water in North America. We'll sleep on the shore of the Colorado river at night and raft it by day. Make no mistake - this will be a wonderful adventure although I admit I'm not sure how I will handle two weeks without my kids - or a shower! We're doing all of this to help directly pay for the development of a new treatment for Neuroblastoma.
PADDLING FOR A CURE will benefit the Band of Parents. I stand proudly as a member of this non-profit organization. We are a group of parents who are sponsoring the development of several new treatment options for Neuroblastoma. Many members of the Band have children in active treatment and are desperately waiting for these new treatments in the hope of saving their own kids. This is about as grassroots as it gets. I am not exaggerating when I say that your dollar(s) may make the real difference between life and death for some of these kids.
Karen, thank you for all you have done, all you are doing and going to do to find that cure! Thank you for paddling in honor of Deqlan on one of the days, we were so deeply touched by this gesture.

Kates Background Story
On Wednesday, April 4th, 2007 we learned that our precious baby girl named Kate had cancer (Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.) We discovered this after almost 45 days of searching for answers to a series of mysterious clues that didn't seem all that alarming at first.

April 2007
It's hard for us to fathom how our almost 11 month old, red-headed "boo girl" could be so sick when only two months ago we thought she was the healthiest child in the world.
Kate's cancer is everywhere but in her arms. Her primary tumor is the size of an irregularly shaped baseball and crosses the midline of her body. It is tightly wrapped around major blood vessels and has caused her abdomen to distend. She also has tumors on both sides of her skull, at the base of the skull, near her diaphragm and in the orbital bone area of both of her eyes. The cancer is also in her bone marrow and her bones. Her bone scans lit up in almost every part of her body with the exception of her arms.
I will tell our story on this site to keep all of you posted. Most of all we ask for your prayers, your positive energy and that you continue to help us on this roller coaster ride. We have deep faith that we have been given this challenge for a reason and that somehow, through it all, we will find a different and very special side of life and living.

June 2007 Update
Kate has completed her first course of chemotherapy. Although she has lost her trademark red hair, she had little to no nausea or other immediate side effects from the treatment. In early July she will undergo extensive tests to determine how her cancer has responded and what our next steps will be.

July 2007 Update
Kate has just begun her second course of chemotherapy. Her scans revealed that the main tumor in her abdomen is mostly or completely dead but the tumor on the left side of her skull still has active NB cells. Kate will have four more cycles of chemo followed by another set of scans in October. We hope to have her main tumor removed this fall and pray for NED (No Evidence of Disease) status then as well!

October 2007 Update
PRAISE GOD!!! After eight rounds of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries and countless scans, Kate has now completed her treatment! Her primary, original tumor is now 98% dead scar tissue and 2% mature neuroblastoma cells. This tumor cannot be resected but we have been told that she has a 95% chance of remaining off treatment with no recurrance or spread of her cancer. The rest of her disease has melted away from the chemo! Kate has been re-growing her still very red hair since late summer and on October 31st she had her central line removed. She will now resume the normal life an almost 18 month old toddler. We will NEVER, EVER be able to thank all of our friends, family and supporters for the incredible healing touch of their prayers and positive energy. We will continue to update this site with Kate's progress through her follow-up scans and other developments.

Latest update – Summer is whizzing by and thankfully we are all healthy. Kate continues to grow like a weed and is doing great. We had her bi-monthly checkup with the oncologist last month and her bloodwork and urine results were perfect. She scans again in October, hopefully the LAST full set of scans she'll need. If she's clean, we graduate to an annual check-up that doesn't involve exposure to radiation! We know we are lucky and feel totally blessed.
PLEASE HELP US BEAT NEUROBLASTOMA!

Visit us at http://www.katescurecrew.com/ to learn of several ways you can help us STAND UP AGAINST NEUROBLASTOMA. Kate's cancer free status is not guaranteed and we will NOT rest until there is a permanent cure and no more families suffer from this horrible disease.
You can also honor Kate by donating the cost of just ONE lunch - it goes directly towards research to find the cause and cure for this horrible disease! Click here to help:
Kate's Lunch for Life Giving Tree


Prayers always beautiful Kate for you to remain NED – you have made such a huge difference to so many and you and your family have such a special place in our hearts!

God Bless and lots of love and hugs! Continue to follow Kates journey and Karens amazing efforts at www.caringbridge.org/visit/katejacobs