These are two more e-mails about young Avalanna, a young girl in an hour to hour battle with cancer. They are written by her mother and distributed to group of us riding in the Pan Mass Challenge.  These reports really bring home why we ride the Pan Mass.

They also detail the constant battle against cancer that those most of us are fortunate enough not to have fight. It’s especially difficult at such young age. The most recent dispatch, sadly, is not encouraging.

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July 23rd

So grateful that this week is over & that Avalanna feels pretty good. Avalanna is flower girl today & I want her to have a fun special day. My heart is so heavy though.

This weeks bleed was most likely an intracranial bleed- if Avalanna had not had platelets, we could be in a very different position now. The platelets helped the blood clot & stopped the bleed. Also for the first time ever, Avalannas spinal fluid came back with Malignant Tumor cells. Just So sad… they took another spinal fluid sample yesterday. If this sample comes back with more malignant cells, they want to stop the two main chemotherapies, IT Topotecan & Avastin, that have been keeping this ATRT controlled. When we asked what new therapies could be used, noone had answers… because there are no new therapies, just experimental drugs.:(

Trying to stay strong & happy for my girl but my heart is just breaking.. Please please pray
Love A

July 21

Oh what a day.. Avalannas spinal fluid came back with over a 1000 red blood cells in it & drs suspected a brain bleed. We were sent for a CT Scan & waited & waited… Avalanna did well, during the scan & then we waited for results…;( The CT Scan looks good, if there was a bleed, her body has absorbed it. No one can tell us exactly what / where bled. We are so relieved but feel beaten up..

This will change how often platelets will be given ( twice a week transfusions) & whether we can continue on chemo Avastin ( as this can cause a brain bleed)..

Please keep praying for our girl
Love Aileen.