We met Mia – an amazing cancer fighter – in 2017 when, at 11 years old, she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. Doctors told Mia’s family that a tumor was growing on her spine. This extremely serious condition was scary news to Mia and her family. But, that didn’t stop her from fighting the tumor and staying positive throughout it all.
Watch Mia’s life story.
After 10 months and 14 rounds of chemo, Mia beat cancer in 2018.
After beating cancer, Mia continued to have check-ups with Children’s Minnesota. In May 2019, her 3-month scans came back with still no evidence of disease, and she was declared cancer-free for 9 months.
Mia fights again
One of Mia’s great loves is horses. That June, she went to a horse camp where she got to spend time doing the things she loves most. After a week at camp, Mia started to notice her left hip was hurting. Mia and her parents figured it was just due to being on a horse all day.
During the second week of camp, Mia’s pain was so bad, they knew something was wrong. Mia had an MRI at Children’s Minnesota on July 9 and on July 10, they were told Mia had cancer again.
Mia’s treatment
Mia received chemo as an outpatient at the Children’s Minnesota clinic. Every 21 days, she received chemo for five days. She completed 10 rounds of chemo total this time around – totaling 50 days of chemo. In addition, she had five days of radiation completed at Mayo clinic.
Mia’s happy news
On Valentine’s Day, 2020, Mia finished her chemo treatment and was cancer free again!
When Mia was told she was cancer free, “She was extremely happy and excited to get back to normal life,” said Brenda, Mia’s mom.
Mia struggles with severe back pain due to her spinal tumor. Originally, she had a spinal fusion after her initial treatment in 2017 where rods and screws were placed in her back. They were soon removed because of Mia’s pain.
Today, Mia is awaiting news about a likely surgery to help ease her back pain. Her pain is caused by a rare condition called postlaminectomy kyphosis. Because of this condition, her Children’s Minnesota doctors recommend Mia undergo a type of spinal surgery—posterior instrumented spinal fusion from her T4-L3 vertebrae.
Aside from waiting on her surgery, Mia is doing great! She is back to spending most of her time riding her horse. Before COVID-19 hit, Mia spent the rest of her time with friends and family.
Shine Bright for Cancer Kids
This September, you’re invited to Shine Bright for Cancer Kids. Whether you donate online or shop with a participating business, you’ll help children right here at home fight cancer. Your gift goes directly to the Cancer Kids Fund at Children’s Minnesota, supporting everything from special therapies to life-saving research to mortgage and rent relief. More than 1,000 children will be cared for this year at Children’s Minnesota, home to the largest and most specialized program in the Upper Midwest. With your help, we can make every day a little brighter for them.