In the spring of 2011, Tara’s daughter, Maggie – an otherwise healthy, vibrant 2-year-old – was suddenly diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. As the toddler underwent surgery to remove a tumor, Tara’s second child, Nora, arrived six weeks prematurely.
After a short stay in neo-natal Intensive Care, Nora was deemed healthy and went home. But Maggie was facing a 12- to 18-month course of treatment including six rounds of high-dose chemotherapy plus a stem cell transplant and an aggressive new treatment.
Tara had planned to return to work following her maternity leave, but ENIN immediately realized that the whole family would benefit greatly if she could stay home with her little girls. Tara says, “ENIN saved us during a time that was incredibly difficult. They made it possible for me to be with my six-week-old premature baby and older daughter, who was newly diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. They made it so I did not have to worry about how I was going to pay bills while spending so much time at the hospital.”
In November 2012, Maggie achieved remission.
Tara continues, “The organization is amazing – the people that are involved with it are incredible. The hearts of these people are so big and it would have never been possible to be with my family during a very dark time without them. There are no words great enough to even thank them.”
