We are determined to make each step count by fundraising to cure, mend, comfort and save the estimated one million children who will walk through the hospital doors this year. Children from all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Your contribution helps kids everywhere through life-saving research and care.
Please consider supporting the most meaningful marathon in the country by making a donation today.
When Libby was 5 months old, September 2014, she was taken to the Nationwide Children's Hospital ER because of the inability to hold any foods down. She was initially diagnosed with several viruses, acid reflux and laryngomalacia. It was an ENT named Dr. Gregory Wiet that had a suspicion that something else might be at play when he scoped and found she had a paralyzed vocal cord. He immediately ordered an MRI. Libby was diagnosed with a central nervous system atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor September 2014 at 5 months old. The tumor was completely removed by Dr. Jeffrey Leonard and team - this is very rare for this type of brain tumor! Shortly after tumor resection she was prophylactically trached to prepare for her intense treatment plan - 5 rounds of several chemotherapies and stem cell rescues. Libby started her first chemo as soon as she got out of her trach surgery. Dr. Jonathan Finlay, Suzanne Scott (nurse practitioner) and a team of amazing nurses and therapists, both on the 12th floor and PICU, guided us through many ups and downs of our 6 month stay at Children's. Libby got to come home the day before her 1st Birthday on March 24th, 2015. At Dr. Finlay's recommendation, to avoid radiation at such a young age, Libby made eight trips to Memorial Sloan Kettering Center in New York City to receive Intraommava 3F8 Radioimmunotherapy. During her routine MRI in February 2016 while battling with RSV they found she had a new tumor in her brain and possibly one on her spine. Dr. Finlay already had a plan laid out and contacts for St. Jude before he even broke the news to us. Libby started on a protocol through St. Jude to fight her relapse, a chemo called Alisertib. In July of 2016 Libby had her 2nd brain surgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital only to discover that while the chemo had stopped the cancer growth it was not killing her cancer. With the knowledge that some of the caner was unable to be removed she received 6 weeks of Proton Beam Radiation at St. Jude. In April of 2017 Libby started the Alisertib back up as maintenance, under the care of Dr. Finlay at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The chemo, Alisertib, was administered through her g-tube. Libby received her last dose of Alisertib in February 2018.
Now 2025, Libby is 11 years old and about to graduate 5th grade!!! She continues to have MRI’s every 4months, for now. She is followed by several teams to proactively watch for the many long-term side effects that can be caused by chemotherapy and radiation – eyesight, hearing, growth, secondary cancers, etc. Libby continues to fight hard to ensure this rare brain cancer stays gone and beat the associated side effects with the wonderful support of amazing doctors, therapists, nurses and support staff of Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Less than 4% of funding goes toward finding cures specifically for childhood cancer. Please consider joining LibbyStrong and raising money for Childhood Brain Cancer Research!
