From the begining

Katie's fight against Castlemans Disease Continues:

 "Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you", this quote holds true in so many aspects of our lives.  For Katie the scars she possesses shows her strength and courage through a fight that has no answers.  Katie was diagnosed with Castlemans Disease at the young age of 18 months old. 

 Her smile and joy has never wavered throughout this fight.

Her courage is so inspiring through a battle that continues on.

Castlemans is a very rare disease that attacks the lymphatic system and other cell structures in the body.  Though it is not a cancer it is in the same family.  The amount of research available on this disease is very limited and the search for answers and knowledge has been very difficult.  Katie began her struggle with this disease 16 months ago and is still fighting.  She had to undergo 7 months of tests, blood-work, scans, ultrasounds and a biopsy prior to her diagnosis.  Since then she has undergone 2 major surgeries to attempt a complete removal of the diseased nodes, 2 ultrasounds to check if any were left and to monitor growth, and 2 ct scans.  She has diseased nodes left in her system that are not able to be removed through surgery because of their location so we are now looking to start some type of treatment in order to stop the growth.  The journey towards a cure for Katie continues and her strength and courage continue to empower us.