Annika (Anni) Meier, was recognized with a medulloblastoma mind tumor in June 2021. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
She had been going by means of outpatient remedy for nearly two years at Corewell Well being’s Helen DeVos Youngsters’s Hospital. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anni not too long ago rang a shiny gold bell to have fun a momentous event: She was lastly most cancers free. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Whereas she nonetheless faces ongoing long-term bodily, cognitive and neurological challenges, her household sees a vivid future on the horizon. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Ringing the ceremonial bell is a large step in saying farewell to childhood most cancers. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Mark, Anni’s dad, stated her first three-month full mind scans had been simply executed and every thing got here again showing steady. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anna’s older brother, Cam, offers Anni an enormous hug. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Mark and Anni’s mother, Lynn, was over the moon that her scans remained steady. “That was the primary superior information of the day,” Mark stated. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anni’s twin brother, Bode, adjusts her bravery beads. She acquired two years value of beads for each poke, process and milestone all through her battle towards most cancers. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
“After which we got here again right here … to a spot the place we spent quite a lot of time over the previous two years. We had some actually exhausting instances right here and a few actually good instances too.” (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
“She by no means as soon as gave us a tough time,” Mark stated. “And she or he nonetheless likes coming to the hospital. She all the time needs to see her mates on the ninth and tenth ground. They’re household and mates right here.” (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
“Speech may be troublesome for her, however you possibly can inform she’s having fun with the second,” Mark stated. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Mark stated Anni is a purpose setter and could be very sturdy. “She had some issues she needed to perform right this moment. And she or he did it,” he stated. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anni’s brother Cam stated this has been a scary time for him and their household. “She had been within the hospital for months, and daily I might come residence and she or he wasn’t there,” he stated. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anni additionally has a particular buddy at residence–an 11-month-old golden retriever named Tucker. “He’s all the time able to see her after hospital visits,” Mark stated. “He was her motivation by means of a lot of remedy.” (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
A photograph of Anni and her brothers sits on the windowsill of her bed room. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Lynn makes use of a carry machine to move Anni to her mattress at their residence in Rockford, Michigan. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anni’s household made her a guide with pictures and names of her relations whereas she was going by means of remedy. They had been uncertain of her cognitive talents on the time, however she knew who everybody was. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Lynn transports Anni to her mattress. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Pictured in Anni’s guide is a photograph of her and her twin brother, Bode. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anni was a gifted ski racer earlier than her prognosis. Her medals and jerseys dangle in her bed room. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Lynn places a wig on Anni that was gifted to her together with her actual hair. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Mark and Lynn arrange a basis to assist different youngsters who might suffer from this uncommon type of most cancers. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Anni makes use of a tool to learn that connects to their TV. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
“Anni and her smile are the face of the group,” he stated. “We’ve already helped some households right here and hope to do much more.” (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Tucker lays close to Anni at residence. He places a smile on her face each single day. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Lynn and Mark proceed to make make modifications at their residence in order that issues are comfy for Anni. They at present are engaged on making a path all the way down to the lake in order that she will be able to have a enjoyable summer season and swim. (Taylor Ballek | Corewell Well being Beat)
Annika (Anni) Meier rang a shiny gold bell to have fun a momentous event: She was lastly most cancers free.
An enormous smile got here throughout her face, shortly echoed by applause and hugs.
Household, mates, docs, nurses and others stopped by to have fun.
Anni had been recognized with a medulloblastoma mind tumor in June 2021 at Corewell Well being’s Helen DeVos Youngsters’s Hospital and had been going by means of in and outpatient remedy for nearly two years.
Whereas she nonetheless faces ongoing long-term bodily, cognitive and neurological challenges, her household sees a vivid future on the horizon.
And ringing the ceremonial bell is a large step in saying farewell to childhood most cancers.
It’s one thing all youngsters with most cancers hope for, because it signifies getting again to being a child once more. And residing a extra regular life exterior of the hospital.
Anni’s father Mark stated her smile is contagious. And he can not consider how extremely courageous she has been by means of all the factor.
Mark stated she had simply had her first 12-month full mind scans executed, and every thing got here again showing steady.
“That was the primary superior information of the day,” he stated. “After which we got here again right here … to a spot the place we spent quite a lot of time over the previous two years. We had some actually exhausting instances right here and a few actually good instances too.”
He stated Anni is a purpose setter and could be very sturdy.
“She had some issues she needed to perform right this moment. And she or he did it,” he stated.
Surprising vacation information
Anni began exhibiting some signs round Christmas of 2020. Mark stated she was sick to her abdomen and had considerably much less power.
The signs caught round on and off all through the winter, and finally bought worse.
“We knew one thing was flawed,” he stated. “We went by means of quite a lot of completely different checks earlier than getting this prognosis.”
The official prognosis of a mind tumor got here in June of 2021.
“She by no means as soon as gave us a tough time,” he stated. “And she or he nonetheless likes coming to the hospital. She all the time needs to see her mates on the ninth and tenth ground. They’re household and mates right here.”
Anni additionally has a particular buddy at residence–an 11-month-old golden retriever named Tucker.
“He’s all the time able to see her after hospital visits,” Mark stated. “He was her motivation by means of a lot of remedy.”
Mark stated he and his household pray for all the youngsters within the hospital each night time.
In addition they arrange a Anni’s Military Basis to assist different youngsters who might suffer from this uncommon type of most cancers.
“Anni and her smile are the face of the group,” he stated. “We’ve already helped some households right here and hope to do much more.”
A celebration to recollect
Kathryn Nichols, nurse tech on the pediatric oncology ground, was readily available for the bell ringing celebration. Together with a couple of dozen different household and mates.
“Everyone seems to be right here to have fun Anni’s achievements, with the care crew making it a particular occasion for the youngsters and their households,” she stated. “All of us attempt to cease what we’re doing for these particular moments if we will.”
The Baby and Household Life crew even created an enormous, hand-painted banner to assist put Anni within the spirit of celebration too.
She wore a pink hoodie with an enormous necklace of bravery beads displaying her power and braveness.
Bravery beads are are handed out separately for going through robust remedy moments like pokes, injections and chemotherapy therapies.
Anni’s brother Cam stated this has been a scary time for him and their household.
“She had been within the hospital for months, and daily I might come residence and she or he wasn’t there,” he stated.
“It feels nice after every thing now we have been by means of. It’s only a reduction.”
The gang cheered and music performed as Anni was rolled underneath her celebration banner for a photograph. Her brother gave her an enormous hug and stood at her aspect.
“Speech may be troublesome for her, however you possibly can inform she’s having fun with the second,” Mark stated.
“Protected travels residence right this moment, and congratulations once more,” Beth Kurt, MD, stated. “You have fun massive tonight, OK?”
Nursing Technician Sarina Vigil gave her a hug and wished her effectively too.
She stated she has by no means seen another little one with extra bravery beads and asserted that she deserves each single one.
“I’m so comfortable for you. I like that you’ve got all these beads and I like you a lot,” she stated. “It was loads right this moment. It’s been wild. I’m pleased with you, girly.”
Rebecca Loret de Mola, DO, Anni’s oncologist, stated it was a troublesome tumor to deal with, however that she did nice in remedy.
“This specific sort could be very aggressive and comes with danger,” she stated. “It’s curable, however we have to use excessive doses of radiation and chemotherapy.”
She stated Anni is one in all a sort.
“To get so far is unimaginable,” she stated. “She all the time has such a superb perspective. All the things she has been up towards, she all the time met with a smile.”
Dr. Loret de Mola added that these celebrations are considerably uncommon in her space, so right this moment was exceedingly particular.
“I’m a doctor who works with mind tumors,” she stated. “Half of the youngsters I work with won’t ever get to ring a bell. So, I’m so thrilled we had been ready to do that.”
