Adalee's Library
Adalee's Story
Adalee was born with a neuroblastoma tumor on her right adrenal gland in November 2021. It was discovered on a routine ultrasound before she was born. After birth, she had an ultrasound and CT scan and doctors originally thought the mass was just a hemorrhage and it would go away with time. Three weeks after birth, the mass had grown by 75% and it was determined that it was not a hemorrhage. Adalee had surgery at just five weeks old to remove the tumor. The surgeon successfully removed the tumor and plans were made to monitor her with follow-up scans every three months.​
In April 2022, at just five months old, Adalee relapsed for the first time. Her cancer had recurred, this time on her lymph nodes. She underwent a second surgery to have a port inserted in her chest and in April - July 2022, she went through four cycles of inpatient chemotherapy with CT scans after every two cycles. In July, it was determined that Adalee's tumors had reduced in size enough to stop the chemotherapy and monitor the cancer with scans every three months. By December 2022, the remaining tumors had calcified so she underwent her third surgery to have her port removed.
​In March 2023 we got the devastating news that Adalee had relapsed again and the cancer was back on her lymph nodes. A fourth surgery was scheduled to reinsert a port in her chest and she underwent another four cycles of chemotherapy March - June 2023. After the completion of chemotherapy, she traveled to Royal Oak, MI for 2.5 weeks of proton therapy. Proton therapy is a form of radiation that is less invasive than traditional radiation.​
Today, Adalee is a thriving toddler making the most of life off treatment. She will have regular scans to make sure the tumors are not growing and another surgery will be scheduled to remove her port in the future.​
Adalee's parents have read to her since before she was born and throughout all of her treatment, reading was a constant comfort to Adalee. Whether being read to by a loved one or silently studying books to herself, Adalee is often found surrounded by books. It is for this reason that we have set up Adalee's Library in honor of this warrior.
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