Amelia waiting for white cells

Amelia had no immune system and Daddy came to visit but he had a cold so he stood at the door and they talked with each other.

A Night For Amelia

Dear Family and Friends,

Amelia and Allison left Johns Hopkins on Sunday, 10 August; six days post op. Allison was especially pleased to be liberated so soon after surgery since Grandma and Grandpa were en route to Jacksonville to retrieve Kathryn and Benjamin from their long vacation with their cousins Timothy and Julian (and Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Brian). This gave Amelia and her mother a chance to readjust to home life and catch up on some sleep before the Hantske family would be five again on Tuesday.

After spending two additional days at Hopkins for post op checks and additional sophisticated testing, Amelia is enjoying a nice long weekend of family life before commencing round six of chemo next Wednesday. This should keep her hospitalized for about four days. She'll then head home for a few days while her immune system is being depressed and the various nasty side effects of the chemo set in. Based on past experience, she'll then be readmitted to the hospital for transfusions, antibiotics, etc. until her body starts to make its own blood cells and reestablish its immune system. This could take anywhere from five days to two weeks. It's the pits, believe us!

Anyway, we are progressing on the prescribed plan and with each treatment are getting closer to the end. We are thankful that there have been no set backs and are encouraged by this.

The benefit on 9 August organized by Robert's racquetball friends was well attended and quite successful. Our thanks to all that participated. A flyer for the 9 September event being held by the Annapolis maritime community is attached for your information.

Please keep the family in your prayers.

Dear Family and Friends,

After nine plus hours of challenging surgery today, Amelia's surgeons reported that they had successfully removed ALL of the primary neuroblastoma tumor from the abdomen. Couldn't have been any better result.

Amelia (and her mother, father and grandmother) came through surgery without a hitch. She'll be in the intensive care unit for a day or so, and hopefully home in about a week.

The support for the Hantske Family from everyone has been wonderful:

Robert's racquetball friends are sponsoring a fund-raiser on Saturday, 9 August from 6 to 9 pm at the Bay Ridge Clubhouse. For further information contact Fran Phillips at 410 757-7175.

The Annapolis maritime community is sponsoring a fund-raiser, "A Night For Amelia," on Tuesday, 9 September from 5:30 to 8 pm at the Port Annapolis Marina. For further information contact Arlene Berlin at 410 263-7997.

Thanks so much for everything.

Dear Family and Friends,

Since our last report Amelia has spent about ten days in the hospital waiting for her body to start producing blood cells. She came home a week ago and has been doing better every day. She looks pretty happy in the attached picture from yesterday.

On Monday morning 4 August 2003, five days short of her 15 month birthday, 18 lb. 8 oz. Amelia will undergo surgery to remove the primary neuroblastoma tumor from her abdomen. Recent ultrasound and CT scan examinations indicate that the tumor is approximately three centimeters at its widest point and has been reduced in size substantially from when Amelia was first diagnosed. The five rounds of aggressive chemo have worked well in attacking the tumor and preventing any others from growing.

Since the tumor is invasively surrounding the left celiac artery, which is located behind the spleen and stomach near the left kidney, the surgery will be long and difficult. The best of all possible results will be that the entire tumor is excised. If the surgeon considers the risk too great to be able to get it all, future chemo and radiation should take care of whatever remains.

After a hospital stay of a week to ten days, Amelia will continue to recover at home for a couple of weeks to regain some weight and strength before starting her sixth round of chemo.

It seems like a never ending nightmare for Amelia, but she has managed each hurdle remarkably well and with God's help and that of her medical team and mother, she will continue to do so until she is free from disease.

Please continue to pray for her and pray especially hard this weekend that the surgery and her immediate recovery period will be successful and uncomplicated.

We'll provide a brief update on Monday or Tuesday.