Welcome to the Battle for a Cure Foundation blog! We Battle for a Cure...Because we can't imagine life without them!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

FIGHTING FOR KATIE FITCH


Join me and the Battle4aCure crew as we pray for Katie Fitch!

A quick look around Katie Fitch's bedroom reveals a typical three-year-old girl. Lots of pink. Strawberry Shortcake, Spongebob Squarepants and Wonder Pets dolls litter the shelves, floor and any other available space. She likes Hanna Montana but Charlotte's Web is her favorite movie. Her favorite books are "Barn Animals Play Peek-a-Boo" and "Goodnight Moon".

But Katie Fitch isn't a typical three-year-old. She has hepatoblastoma.

Hepatoblastoma, primarily a childhood cancer, is a very rare cancerous tumor originating in the liver, but can also spread or metastasize to other areas of the body. The liver is one of the largest organs in the body, and its primary functions include filtering and storing blood. Hepatoblastoma affects about 1 in 1,000,000 children. About 70% are treated successfully with surgery and chemotherapy, and the survival rate is greater than 90% for early-stages.

Katie lives in Florence, South Carolina, with her mother, Stacie Williams, her father, Clayton Fitch, and two sisters, Allie and Kristin. She receives treatment at the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. The hospital has earned top ranking from U.S. News & World Report, American Health Magazine and The Best Doctors in America.

However, it is our understanding through a close friend named Brittney that the hospital has sent Katie home with little or no hope of survival. Katie's cancer has spread throughout her other organs including her heart. The tumor in her liver has tripled in size, and her body is no longer responding to treatment.

Please pass the word along to all of your friends and family to PRAY for Katie Fitch & Her Family!