Sydney's Hope

Sydney is a wonderful 7 year old girl.  She loves music and her pet guinea pig, Michael. She was diagnosed with an Undifferentiated Carcinoma in the beginning of August 2009.  This type of cancer is very rare in Children and can be difficult to treat.  So far, Sydney has endured 26 hospitalizations, 2 surgeries, and 25 radiation treatments.  Sydney has a long road ahead, but we are hopeful that Sydney will experience a full recovery. 

Join us on August 28, 2010 for an upbeat contemporary worship service raising money for Sydney's Hope.  The event is free, but please come prepared to give an offering.

 Location

 World Church International

2030 Wesley Chapel Rdl, Decatur, GA.

Jammin5280radio.com         Urban Gospel Entertainment      Dyznamic.com   

Please continue to donate to Sydney's Hope.  Although her chemotherapy will end soon, we would like to establish money in her long term trust to deal with the long-term side effects of chemotherapy.  While chemotherapy is a lifesaver and our ultimate goal is to save Sydney's life, we haved learned that there are side effects that may be life-changing and life-long.  Some of the possible effects are:

Hearing Loss

Neurological Problems

Infertility

Increased risk of future cancers

Sydney has already experienced slight hearing loss.  Hearing loss from chemotherapy is permanent and may get worse as therapy continues.  Additionally, chemotherapy can effect fertility in girls because it destroys the immature eggs in the ovaries.  Since Sydney has not entered puberty, there was no way to harvest eggs ahead of her treatment.  It is possible that she will not be able to have children naturally and may have to go through alternative means to have a family.  Additionally, female development may need to be started through medical intervention because her body is not likely to do this on its on.  Chemotherapy may also increase her chances for getting cancer in the future.  Given these side effects, the family would like to start a fund that will help with her medical needs in the future.  Please see the how you can help section for more information. 

Sydney Update:

8/9/2011

Sydney has completed her 12th round of chemotherapy and is doing well.  She returned to the hospital for a brief time because of an infection, but is now better.  Sydney started third grade last week with the rest of her class. It is our hope that Sydney will continue to do well and be able to attend school for most of the school year.  Sydney's birthday is approaching and we are so thankful that she has been able to make it through this far.  We wish Sydney many many many more birthdays. 

7/11/2010

Sydney completed her eleventh round of chemotherapy on July 2nd.  This round went very well for Sydney.  She was able to celebrate the 4th at home with the family. She only has three rounds left.  On July 10th Sydney was admitted into the hosptial for a fever.  Her condition is improving and her blood counts are recovering.  As Sydney's active treatment nears completion and she transfers into remission, the primary focus of Sydney's Hope will also transission.  Fundraising will begin to support Sydney's Hope Foundation.  Please consider donating to Sydney's care as well as to Sydney's Hope Foundation.  Distinguish your donation by writing either Sydney or Foundation in the notes or comments section.  Thanks for your support.

6/26/2010

It has been a super busy Summer for Sydney.  Fortunately she has stayed very healthy and her chemotherapy treatments have gone very well.  Recently Sydney attending summer camp in Rutledge Georgia, thanks to all the staff and volunteers at Camp Sunshine.  She had a wonderful time.  Sydney will be resuming chemotherapy on Monday June 28th.  This will be her 11th round of chemotherapy.  She will be having 14 rounds altogether.  Please continue to keep Sydney in your thoughts and prayers. 

6/3/2010

News Alert!  Thanks to everyone who has donated to Sydney's Hope.  In March of this year, thanks in part to your generosity, Sydney was able to travel to Jacksonville, FL for Proton Radiation treatment.  Last week a CT scan was performed and showed that the tumor in Sydney's chest is responding to treatment.  The tumor is smaller and portions of it are visibly dead.  This is very good news for Sydney. 

Sydney continues to undergo chemotherapy and will complete a total of 14 rounds of chemo.  She finished her 10th round on May 29.  She was readmitted to the hospital today for fever and neutropenia (low white blood cells).  Please continue to pray for Sydney and her recovery.

5/2/10

Sydney had to return to the hospital on 5/1/10 after having a fever.  It is important for those receiving chemotherapy to be treated for infection as soon as possible.  Chemotherapy effects the numbers of white blood cells because it kills fast growing cells in the body.  This causes a drop in immunity.  The concern is that when a child gets a fever, it may be a sign of an infection in the blood.  Sydney was treated with an antibiotic called Fortaz right away.  She also received red blood cells and platelets.  

4/24/10

Sydney recently finished her 9th round of chemotherapy.  It went very well  After returning from Jacksonville, Fl, where proton radiation therapy went well, it was decided that Sydney would undergo a total of 14 rounds of chemotherapy.  Sydney will have more scans in about 4 weeks to determine the success of her therapies thus far.  We believe that the tumor has been killed and cannot wait for the day when we can see the victory.  We continue to hope and pray that Sydney's future treatments go well.

 NEWS!  Sydney appeared in Food Network's show Ace of Cakes on April 15th

Photo of Sydney at a Jacksonville Park about 1 block from the Ronald McDonald House.

Upper Left:  Sydney at Wolfson's Children's Hospital after Chemotherapy.  Upper Right:  Sydney with friends from our home hospital.  Lower Left:  Sydney with her sister Brianna at the beach.

March 31, 2020

Sydney is over half way through her radiation treatments.  She also just received a round of chemotherapy which went very smoothly.  She is in great spirits and the healthiest I've seen her in months.  We continue to hope and pray that Sydney experiences a full recovery from Cancer.    She was last treated at Wolfson Children's Hospital and is expected to be discharged today.  She will continue with Proton Beam Radiation and will return to Atlanta around April 15th.

March 16, 2010

I am so excited!  Sydney is currently in Jacksonville, Fl.  for Proton Radiation treatment.  She is being treated at the University of Florida's Proton Radiation Institute.  While is Jacksonville, she is staying at the local Ronald McDonald House.  If you are looking for a charitable organization to give to, your local Ronald McDonald house would be a worthy candidate.  Proton Radiation was chosen for her because it carries less risk to healthy tissue than traditional radiation treatment, since the beams only travel to the tumor and stop and do not make an exit path through her body.  In Sydney's case, this spares her growing spine and possible some lung and heart tissue as well.  She will be in Jacksonville for about 5 weeks, and we are hopeful that once radition is complete, the tumor will be completely gone.  Sydney will also continue to undergo chemotherapy along with her radiation treatment.  Since there does not appear to be a surgical option for her, we pray for success in her treatment.

Sydney at Jump for Joey (Feb. 2010) 

March 6, 2010

Sydney will begin Proton Radiation Therapy in Jacksonville, Florida on March 9.  We are so excited that we may finally destroy this tumor.  Although it has responded to Chemotherapy (by 50%), radiation is an absolutely necessary part of treatment.  Sydney is doing well.  Her blood counts have recovered nicely and she will resume chemotherapy while in Jacksonville.  

February 22, 2010

After 12 days in the hospital waiting for her counts to recovering.  Sydney was able to travel to central Florida for so well deserved fun.  Sydney's first radiation appointment in Jacksonville will be on Feb. 23 and her oncology appointment will be on Feb. 24.  We are so eager to find out how well her treatment is going so far and wait for her recovery.

February 1, 2010

There is some big news!  First of all, Sydney had a CT Scan on 1/27 and the results are that the tumor is continuing to shrink.  Also, it looks like Sydney will get to have Proton Beam Radiation Therapy in Jacksonville, FL.  She will have her initial appointments during the week of February 15th.  Therapy will start towards the beginning of March.  The Doctors believe that the radiation is completely necessary to finally kill the cancer cells.  We look forward to Sydneys victory over cancer. 

January 14, 2010 

Sydney finished her 6th round of Chemo on January 8th and is doing well. She returned to the hospital on January 13th because of fever and low blood counts and will be inpatient until her counts begin to recover.  Next up for Sydney is continued chemotherapy.  Additionally she will (hopefully)have proton beam radiation in Jacksonville,FL.  We hate to leave our home for 6 weeks, but the benefits of reduced exposure are worth it.  Please continue to support Sydney with your guestbook signatures.  Financial support is always appreciated as well.

12/5/09

Sydney traveled to Boston and met with the team at Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund Clinic.  They gave us additional options for chemotherapy that may not contribute to hearing loss.  Additionally we have a plan for treatment.  Sydney was diagnosed by the team there with an Epithelioid Sarcoma.  Thankfully she is one of the 50% of patients with this rare cancer that responds to chemotherapy.  The tumor has shrunk 60%.  The next step is for her to have surgery to remove the tumor, which is in the most vital part of the body, touching the heart and major vessels and organs.  Before this happens the tumor will need to shrink more.  Afterwords Sydney will need to undergo more Chemotherapy and possible radiation.  So, we are thankful that we are making progress, but realize that Sydney still has a long road ahead of her.  W

With the naming of Sydney's cancer we are able to learn a little more about it.  What we have learned offers hope, but also offers the fact that there are definite obstacles. This is an aggressive cancer, however, the fact that it has not spread offers great hope.  We pray that it continues to respond to chemo and that it will not reoccur as it so often does. 

Again, thanks to all who have donated money so that Sydney can get the help she needs.

Sydney had her fifth round of chemo on December 10th and 11th.  She came home on December 14.  She was readmitted on December 19 for a fever and possible infection.  But she had the opportunity to meet the Food Network Star from Ace of Cakes.  Thanks So Much, Duff!

Sydney and Santa in November 2009

While chemotherapy is a lifesaver and our ultimate goal is to save Sydney's life, we haved learned that there are side effects that may be life-changing and life-long.  Sydney has already experienced slight hearing loss.  Hearing loss from chemotherapy is permanent and may get worse as therapy continues.  Additionally, chemotherapy can effect fertility in girls because it destroys the immature eggs in the ovaries.  Since Sydney has not entered puberty, there was no way to harvest eggs ahead of her treatment.  It is very likely that she will not be able to have children naturally and will likely have to go through alternative means to have a family.  Additionally, female development may need to be started through medical intervention because her body is not likely to do this on its on.  Chemotherapy may also increase her chances for getting cancer in the future.  Given these side effects, the family would like to start a fund that will help with her medical needs in the future.  Please see the how you can help section for more information. 

Sydney gets beads for any procedures she undergoes.  Look how many beads she has gotten so far.  She is incredibly brave.  For more information on supporting the Beads of Courage program visit the Beads of Courage website.   

Please feel free to contact us at sydneyshope@ymail.com  or send Sydney a message with the guestbook or contact us feature on the page.