McKenna Maiorana's Fight [Stage IV Neuroblastoma]

McKenna Maiorana was born on November 15, 2008 and was a happy and healthy little baby girl. Her parents Michael and Brittney were thrilled to have such a beautiful baby girl and dreamed of a wonderful life for baby McKenna. McKenna had a great first year of life, was a normal baby girl and loved learning new things and exploring. She had a great personality and loved to laugh and play, but was also shy and reserved.

At the beginning of February 2010, McKenna's parents started noticing that McKenna was not eating as much as she used to, was constipated and her energy levels were getting lower and lower. They began adding water to McKenna's milk, giving her suppositories and trying other constipation remedies. McKenna's stomach became harder and harder and then began to become distended.

On Superbowl Sunday, McKenna woke up gagging and choking and that's when Brittney realized something was very wrong. Her breath smelled like feces and she was extremely pale and her little stomach was hard as a rock and completely distended. They immediately rushed her to the Emergency Room and prayed it was something minor that could be easily treated. The Dr's immediately did an xray on McKenna and that's when they noticed a large mass on her left Kidney. She was then taken in to have a CT scan of her abdomen and that's when McKenna's parent's learned that it was a whole lot worse then they had expected. The CT scan confirmed there was a large mass on her left kidney but that it was so big it was weighing down her lungs and was beginning to wrap around her aortic valve.

Dr's performed a biopsy on the tumor and took a sample of McKenna's bone marrow to biopsy as well. Now, all McKenna's parents could do was sit back and wait for the results to come back, praying that the tumor was benign. On February 12, 2010 the lab results came back and McKenna was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma, which is an aggressive from of cancer often found in children 2 years and younger. Stage IV means that McKenna's cancer has spread from the tumor on her kidney, to the bone in right leg, femur in her right leg, her skull behind her right eye and it was also found in her bone marrow. In short, Dr's gave McKenna a 30-50% success rate on beating this cancer.

Currently, McKenna is being treated at Phoenix Children's Hospital where the Dr's have her sedated. She has had 3 blood transfusions and just underwent her first dose of chemotherapy on February 15th. She will continue to have chemotherapy and stay sedated until the tumor shrinks and softens so the Dr's can operate to remove it.

Together we are desperately trying to raise money for the Maiorana Family to help pay for their medical costs for treating McKenna. Unfortunately, the family does not have health insurance for McKenna and they were ineligible for state help. Right before McKenna was ill, McKenna's father, Michael was laid off from his job. This family is in desperate need of our help and have started a website www.hopeforbabymckenna.com where we are raising money for the family.

♥ Fundraising Website & Website for McKenna Updates ♥
www.hopeforbabymckenna.com

♥ Twitter Updates on McKenna ♥
www.twitter.com/teammckenna

♥ Facebook Support Group for McKenna ♥
www.facebook.com/hopeforbabymckenna

The music in this video is "Hope Now" by Addison Road. No copyright infringement intended. All photographs of McKenna belong to the Maiorana family.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• McKenna
• Maiorana
• Childhood
• Cancer
• Neuroblastoma

[DavilaAndreCarloni]

See the video of my son victorious against neuroblastoma.

[Pixiestyc]

That doesn't make sense to me. How can a family with no income not be eligible for Medicaid for her? =( The government is messed up. Someone should help that little girl and her family. I would if I had zero income myself and wasn't permanently disabled.

[fooferann]

I am praying for your beautiful little girl!! God Bless this gorgeous little girl and her family!! 

[olplove]

move to canada. free health care (Y)

this baby's beautiful.

[facultybookbuyer]

i will pray for mckenna stay strong

[SadieAnn97]

HopeForBabyMcKenna on facebook

[jsrcamp]

I also just tryed to find her face book page and it isnt showing? please help, would like to follow her please

[Shannindhall]

I just tried to visit Hope for McKenna's page, but it says that the domain has "expired"..??

[annerz136]

Is there an update on KcKenna?