Halfway there

To the editor:
While on the bus back to Winnipeg, my daughter, Stephanie, woke up and asked the question, “How much longer before we get there?”
I said, “We’re halfway there.” She said, “Well then, I’ll count to see how long before we get there.” Well, she stopped counting at 1,100. She said that it took too long. And the trip was still two hours.
We were going for a CT scan to see how much of her cancer tumor had shrunk. She was diagnosed with the big bad “c” word (cancer) in May and is now past her fourth chemo treatment. When first diagnosed, they couldn’t remove it because of complications and the tumor’s size. But now they have successfully shrunk the tumor by half.
Little then did I know that “halfway there” meant exactly that. Now, for the first time, we can see a light at the end of that nightmarish tunnel of cancer, and all these months of anguish.
Stephanie’s cancer is called Desmoplastia small round-cell tumor (DSRCT) of the abdomen. This type of cancer is rare so research and success is limited but the doctors are hopeful for a full recovery for her. The next step is to remove most of the tumor so surgery is scheduled for Aug. 28.
I’d like to thank the people of Fort Frances and surrounding areas for your support and for all your prayers.
Thank you so very much,
Angela and Dale Carroll
P.S. Contributions may still be made to the Northern Lights Credit Union in trust for Stephanie Carroll.