Check Up & Checking Out

We had our last follow up today ( well for 3 months at least). It was an appointment with the retinal specialist. Not going to lie, I was nervous for Ania- not because I was afraid he would see a reoccurrence (a beautifully clear MRI last week eased that fear for me!), I was more afraid because most of his exams have been done under anesthesia. Any time it's not been under anesthesia, many eye drops and a metal speculum have been put into her eye. It's pure torture for her to go through and I to watch. 

Today however, both Ania and I were pleasantly surprised! It was more like a regular eye exam. Just two drops and NO speculum to pry her eye open! At nearly four and a half years old, Ania cooperated in such a pleasant manner! She didn't like the drops of course but resigned herself to taking them pretty quickly. She sat so steady for photographs of her eye, listened to directions ( look up, look down etc.), and cooperated fully during an ultrasound of her eye. I was so impressed by her maturity- I think the doctor was too! Sure Ania has grown physically in the past year but mentally, she has grown leaps and bounds! I am incredibly proud of how she handled today's appointment! I am also incredibly happy that this was the end of check ups for awhile. 

       Having her eye photographed

Going forward, Ania will have this type of  exam done every 3 months and an MRI every 6 months until she is six years old. She will soon have surgery to remove her chemotherapy port as well. By no means normal for a kid her age to endure but we'll take it considering all she has been through! 

               Freedom feels GREAT!

After her appointment this morning, I taught her how to do something really fun! She's been asking me to teach her this for awhile so I finally gave in. Considering she is mature enough to go through all she has endured, it seemed like it was the perfect time to learn something all kids are eager to learn - how to make a bubble with chewing gum! It sounds simple yes but I no longer take simple pleasures for granted!

So now that we are on the downslope of this cancer journey and check ups are slowing down, it's officially time for our family to just enjoy life. Enjoy the day to day simple pleasures!

It's been a long year and it's time for me to check out from the Dainty Warrior blog for a little while. I know many have you have read each and every entry and cried along with me as I documented our story. Thank you very much for joining in on  our journey. Luckily, our story has a happy ending so I hope you allowed yourself some cleansing tears of joy in the end :)

So long for now! Go enjoy some bubblegum in Ania's honor ;) 

God Bless,

Erica

A Dainty Warrior Celebration

She has waited patiently for her day to celebrate cancer freedom! 

The day is HERE!! 

Our dear Dainty Warrior,  Ania Elaine had her MRI come back CLEAR! Thank the Lord!!! This journey is ending and we are ready to close the chapter on this warrior's cancer saga.  We have had many followers and many of you have lifted her (and our family) up in good thoughts and prayer. We will never be able to say thank you enough.  Writing and sharing about Ania has been such a therapy for me personally and someday I am happy to know Ania will be able to read the "Dainty Warrior Story" and I hope it brings her strength and confidence that she might not have known otherwise. At the age of 4, she has impacted so many people.  Her joy, bravery, creativity and spirit has been so evident throughout her journey.  Mike and I are incredibly proud to be her parents - she has taught us what real strength looks like.  We are better people because of this experience as I think it forced us to take a step back and realize how quickly life as we knew it could change. We are all handed trials in our lifetimes - however, the way in which you learn, move along and move past those trials is what life is really about.  Will you be stuck in darkness or will you keep making your way in the midst of fear of the unknown? Now that this chapter is ending for us, what will we do to keep this momentum of growth and perspective? Well, for starters, our children will not stop growing. That right there reminds us constantly that time is moving fast so we will really savor each day and each birthday because you will never know how many there will be.  We will continue to give back and do our part raising awareness for childhood cancer.  We are one of the lucky ones - our child is a survivor.  Many children do not survive and there is much work to be done to have more outcomes to childhood cancer end like ours.

Ania is one of MANY Dainty Warriors out there. Our hope is that her story sparked an awareness in YOU about childhood cancer. May that spark stay lit up for all the warriors to follow in Ania's shoes.... or wings! 

   Now, It's Time to Celebrate!

A few weeks ago, my dear cousin Ashley Hayhurst took pictures of Ania that were inspired by one of Ania's most recent paintings titled "Up She Goes". The idea was to take Ania out in her element - NATURE...with a rainbow of balloons! 

 
 
 

After the balloon shots, of course we had to let her run around the woods in her WINGS!

    

 

And after the butterfly's flight, she headed deeper into the woods for a tea party with her little brother and special lovey friends, Rosie, Riley, Ellie & Miss Olga!

 
 

 

CHEERS TO LONG, HEALTHY LIVES, MY DEAR CHILDREN

I Rose

I rose, I rose,

From the trampled soil

I rose, I rose

To become the cynosure of your eye

Alike me, many more shall

rise and thrive

If given a small chance to

dream and aspire.

Now friends, you might be

just wondering

As to who I am

So let me to life's

opportunities raise a toast

And tell you,

I am a rose,

the flower rose.

--Rajesh Thankappan

Blessings to All, 

The Moriarty Family

A Photographers Eye on The Journey

 

Is little brother the photographer behind all these images? ;) 

Like many parents, I really love to take photos of my children and the images Ive taken of Ania over the course of her cancer journey have been impactful and candid- all be it with my camera phone! There is something completely magical allowing a professional take images of your child.  There is  artistry and craft behind a "real" photographers eye- and having a really good camera that doesn't also make phone calls helps the real beauty of a captured moment shine!

So, I am going to let the following photographs that were taken of Ania over the last year do most of the talking..... and I will give credit where credit is due to the magicians behind the lens....

March 2014- After 4 rounds of failed intra-arterial chemotherapy, we were given the somber news that we would have to remove her left eye.  Before that happened, we decided to have photographs taken of our family.  The lovely Eva Suerth captured Ania as she danced and put on silk butterfly wings for the first time.....

 

 
 

 

April 2014 - After her left eye was removed, Ania wore eye patches to conceal her healing eye (she liked wearing them because she had so many fun designs! Ania was photographed for The Little Lutheran magazine by photographer Mike Watson. I love these images so much because they are the essence of Ania's life right after her eye removal- she didn't skip a beat and she just kept on painting with that one fantastic eye!

 

After April, there was such a transitional appearance time. Her hair began to fall out and she went through several phases of prosthetic eyes. In July 2014 when Ania was halfway through her chemo regimen, we returned to Eva Suerth's studio to do a photo session of the new Ania- new "hair" and new eye. What resulted was a very ballet focused session- the studio became Ania's "stage" as she danced along to The Nutcracker soundtrack for the action shots. She is quite a serious performer as you can see!

July 2014-

Now that treatment is finished, it was time to do a celebratory photography session and my dear cousin Ashley did an inspired session the first week of October. However, I've decided to withhold those images and publish them on the blog next week on the day that marks the one year anniversary- so we can celebrate rather than dwell on a very scary time. Here is a teaser though ;) 

God Bless,

Erica