Our Familes / Family Stories
The Tajima Family
Our daughter, Addison, was diagnosed with high risk neuroblastoma at eighteen months old. She had a grapefruit-sized tumor originating in her right adrenal gland, basically flattening all organs around it. Over the course of a year, she underwent six rounds of chemo, a massive abdominal tumor resection, a stem cell transplant including a one hundred day isolation, twenty rounds of proton radiation, and five out of six rounds of antibody therapy.
She is in the process of completing the final sixth round of antibody therapy. Watching this happen to our baby has shaken everything about ourselves and our family. What matters? What can we trust? What can we hope for? How can we be sure about anything in life?
Addison is now thriving, growing, and as happy as any other two year old I know. She lives each day to the fullest and seeks happiness in every situation. She is loving and thoughtful. I like to think that she has her priorities straight! In this lies our answers. Each moment is a moment to cherish. We can’t know what tomorrow may bring, but we don’t want to waste what we have right now. We laugh, love, and play as much as possible. We cherish our children and we’re grateful for each other. Today, this is enough.