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Day 20 January 24
Kyra Vitko (12 yrs old)
submitted by Bojan Vitko

Hi, my name is Kyra Vitko. I am twelve years old and I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In May 2001 I was diagnosed with a very rare malignant tumor called PNET. It is a type of Ewings sarcoma.

I discovered my tumor from a big bump on the inside of my upper right thigh that would not go away. It was approximately the size of an orange and was growing quickly. At first we thought it was a nasty spider bite, but unfortunatley I wasn't that lucky.

I am getting treatment at Toronto Sick Kids Hospital. I am receiving seventeen chemo cycles that alternate from three to six days every two or three weeks. My tumor was removed in August 2001 as well as two muscles in my right leg. All the volunteers, nurses and the doctors are awesome! Even though the chemo is so tough that it destroys my immune system leaving me exhausted and totally vulnerable...I AM TOUGHER!!!

WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO

It cannot cripple love

It cannot shatter Hope

It cannot corrode Faith

It cannot destroy Peace

It cannot kill Frienship

It cannot suppress Memories

It cannot silence Courage

It cannot invade the Soul

It cannot steal Eternal Life

It cannot conquer the Spirit

Kyra Vitko.

December 30. 2001

Dear Kyra:

In the middle of the night I watch you get up every hour all night long exhausted, dizzy and nauseated unplugging your I.V. pump from the wall and pulling the pump with the chemo bag and other fluids attached, all the tubes attached to your body.

You make your way to the bathroom and carefully replace "the hat" in the toilet to that everything can be measured and monitored properly. No matter how sick you feel, or how difficult it is for you to even stand, you always dig deep to find the energy and presence of mind to wash your hands every time - to always fight!

You do all of this as quietly as you can as not to disturb me lying on the couch in your hospital room. You will not even turn the light on until the bathroom door is closed and when you come out you look at me and when you see my eyes open, you quietly smile and make your way to bed.

I have seen you do this a hundred times.

You are just a little girl; yet you carry yourself with the courage, the strength and with the beauty and grace of many.

The life in you is so great and so abundant.

Watching you gives me tons of joy. You Kyra will do great things in your life. This tough time that you are in will only strengthen your resolve for much beauty in your life.

We are all with you, you are not alone and we thank you for your gift to all of us.

Your healing is healing us all.

I love you Kyra, Daddy.

Mariam (Mary) Ranucci
submitted by Adelina Ranucci

October 28 was usually a day that we as a family looked forward to and celebrated. It was my mother's birthday. But, in 1999, this was not to be the case. It was the day my mother was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

We were all completely devastated by this news. We were in complete shock. How could this have happened?

My mother underwent all kinds of tests to determine the grade and stage of the lymphoma. We were on pins and needles waiting for the results. After a very long 2 weeks we were given positive news. The cancer appeared to be isolated, but because the cancer was aggressive, they recommended some "preventative" therapy. My mother underwent 3 chemos and 4 weeks of radiation therapy. In March she completed all her therapy, and was given a clean bill of health by her oncologist, so my parents decided to take a trip to California.

Shortly after they arrived in California she started to feel ill. When they returned home, she went back to the doctors and was given the unbelievable news. The cancer was back and the prognosis was not good. She was given 6 months to live. The oncologist recommended very strong chemotherapy, which my mother declined. She decided she wanted to try homeopathic medicine. We all remained positive up to the very end and prayed that she would be healed. My father Pat, sister Joanne, my brother Tony, my sister-in-law Ann, my husband Scott and I were with her everyday for 3 months. We catered to her every whim and told her countless times each day how much we loved her.

All of her friends and family came to visit her during this time. Throughout it all she retained her humour and dignity. To most of us she put on a brave face but to a few of us she confided her fear. I believe that she wanted to protect us the way she had protected us her whole life.

On August 25, 2000, at 6:30pm, at home and with her family by her side, my mother peacefully passed away. She was 63 years old.

It was only 3 months earlier that she was told that the cancer was terminal and 10 months since the first diagnosis.

I can't tell you how much this has affected all of us. We miss her deeply. They say a mother is the center of the family and that is so true. It's like missing a huge piece of a puzzle. She was the core of our family. My mother was kind, loving and generous. Family was the most important thing to her. She lived for us and especially for her 4 grandchildren. Because of this tragedy our family has become much closer and stronger and I know that would make her happy.

I'm especially thankful for the VONs (Victorian Order of Nurses) that visited our home and tended to my mother. Their compassion and understanding helped all of us through this difficult time.

Reading all the dedications on this web site, you realize how this disease affects so many families. It is a terrible disease and we need to do everything we can to fight it. To Kevin and JeffÉI think what you're doing is truly an inspiration.

Good luck.

Kyra Vitko

Sister Teya, Kyra and brother Quentin

Day
Date (January)

Mariam Ranucci