Elly Stucker was a normal 8 year old living in Fort Worth, Texas. In October, 2005, she went in for a routine physical, but the doctors saw a large mass close to her spine. Specialists removed the growth a week later and a biopsy revealed it to be Neuroblastoma, historically a terminal cancer.By January 2006, doctors found that the tumor had not only returned, but that it was growing rapidly. With no time to lose, Elly began a regimen of chemotherapy and radiation the following week.After 3 rounds of chemotherapy, the doctors told her parents that the cancer was continuing to grow...and that short of a miracle Elly had only a few months to live. Motivated by Elly's parents and her doctors, a team at Fort Worth's Cook Children's Medical Center mobilized to research available experimental treatments for Neuroblastoma and by August, 2007, Elly was accepted into an exceptional program. However, an initial hurdle had to be overcome--the program was only available in San Francisco, Philadelphia or Ann Arbor.Elly and her mother moved to San Francisco, where she received treatment for 5 months. The great news is that Elly has been in remission for over 15years!She is a happy, healthy twenty-five year old, full of life, and is now a Baylor University graduate working at Wells Fargo Financial Advisors.
The goal of Wine for a Cause is to raise money for pediatric cancer research and help fund research protocols at Cook Children's Medical Center. Cook Children's Medical Center can be recognized as one of the leading pediatric cancer research centers in the world and, with funding, those who do not have the ability to relocate during treatment will be able to receive world class care and treatments locally. The first few wine events raised over $250,000, and helped specifically build the new MIBG room at Cook Children's (please see the tab on the homepage about MIBG, Elizabeth had to relocate to San Francisco for 5 months to recieve this treatment). The second $250,000 that was raised was to help fund a nationwide neuroblastoma research inititave that Cook Children's coordinated.
The great news is that Cook Children's Medical Center now has the 5th MIBG room in the nation, the first in the southwest. It is the first MIBG room specifically designed for this treatment.
If you are interested in how you can support pediatric cancer research, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please visit our "contact us" page or click the link below.
