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Meet Moriah! Alaska’s new Children’s Miracle Network Champion

 

Last spring Moriah visited her family doctor after a period of having low energy and sleeping a lot. Her mom originally thought it may have had something to do with her dad being gone on a deployment to Afghanistan until she saw a strange bruise on Moriah’s neck and became concerned. The doctor diagnosed Moriah with leukemia, and put Moriah and her mom on a medevac flight from their hometown of Fairbanks to The Children’s Hospital at Providence in Anchorage that same day.

A bone marrow test administered the following day gave an official diagnosis of Burkitt’s leukemia, one of the most aggressive types of cancer. Moriah immediately started chemotherapy. She had a port placed and received multiple chemo injections in her spine. Her dad was able to return from Afghanistan 6 days in to her treatment and her siblings came down to Anchorage. This disease required the whole family to relocate to Anchorage so Moriah could receive treatment at Alaska’s only children’s hospital, where should would spend a total of over 80 nights in the pediatric inpatient unit.

While in the hospital Moriah enjoyed spending time with Rosie, a certified Child Life Specialist. Rosie helped Moriah cope with being in the hospital and reduced the trauma and stress of her difficult treatment plan through therapeutic play, and arts and crafts. Community support allows 5 child life specialists to care for children in all areas of the hospital.

Moriah finished her treatment four long months after it began and she is now cancer free! She is happy to get back to her favorite activities of horse-back riding and figure skating and is excited to see her hair start to grow back. Her family is glad to give back to their Providence “family” by raising awareness and funds for the children’s hospital all year long.

You can help kids like Moriah by donating today!