Via: emilyscourtyard.com
She Just Celebrated Her 8th Birthday Earlier This Month. Her Smile Is So Overwhelming And Her Zeal And Zest For God And Life Is Infectious. She’s The Picture Of Great Faith In Action, You See Him In Her Eyes, And His Love For Us Through Her Smile. Share This Story With Your Friends And Visit Her Website To See How You Can Get Involved With Emily’s Courtyard. Praise Family Please Continue To Pray For Her And Her Family.
Main Entry: cour·age
Pronunciation: ‘k?r-ij, ‘k?-rij
Function: noun
: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty
Synonyms; mean mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship. COURAGE, METTLE, SPIRIT, RESOLUTION, TENACITY, RESOLUTION
The only thing missing from the above definition of courage is a picture of Emily Banae’ Perkins. Emily also known as “Em” was born to Oletha and Bennie Perkins August 6, 2002. Oletha says “from the moment I laid eyes on her and the feistiness of her cry I knew she was special”
Almost eight years later Emily has proven to her mom and the universe that indeed she is a special child. Her smile is so overwhelming and infectious that no matter what kind of day you’ve had, you are going to smile with Emily. Please Keep Her And Her Famil In Your Prayers And Please Share This Story With Your Friends.
Emily lovingly embraces everyone who enters her world. Seriously the child loves to hug and has never met a stranger. Her eyes tell you that it’s going to be okay and that it’s not over.
But here is what makes this gorgeous child special – since Emily’s diagnosis of DIPG, Emily has never complained but always encouraged others to have faith and trust in God. It is not unusual to walk into the Perkins home and hear Emily singing songs of faith.
In fact Emily has an uncanny way of knowing when her mother is feeling down and how to minister to her. How is it possible that a child with a catastrophic illness minister to her mom, of all people? Emily accomplishes this by sitting in her mothers lap (her favorite place in the world) and gets Oletha, her to sing along with her.
Another sterling example of Emi’s courage is; after being diagnosed with DIPG and undergoing treatment she continued to attend school. Students at Lakeshore Elementary where Emily attends demonstrated great support for her when she returned to school.
However there were some students who did not understand her plight and treated her different but that had absolutely no impact on Emily. What they didn’t know was, Emily was on a mission and no one, not even an illness was going to distract her from her mission.
Through perseverance, tenacity and faith Emily was promoted to the third grade.
Mission Accomplished.
Emily, the gorgeous child has disturbed the universe by demonstrating extraordinary courage in the face of battle. She has become the example of what faith looks like, what it means to fight until God says it’s over.
Emily has taught everyone who has ever met her how easy it is to reach out and share our love with others. Upon meeting Emily, it would not be uncommon to think you are in the midst of an angel.
Main Entry: Emily Banae’ Perkins
Function: noun
:mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. synoyms COURAGE, METTLE, SPIRIT, RESOLUTION, TENACITY mean mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship. COURAGE implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty. METTLE opposed or threatened. RESOLUTION stresses firm determination to achieve one’s ends. TENACITY adds to RESOLUTION implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat. suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience. SPIRIT also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one’s own or keep up one’s morale when opposed or threatened
What is (DIPG)?
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
(dih-FYOOS in-TRIN-sik PON-teen glee-OH-muh)
A Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a tumor located in the pons (middle) of the brain stem. The brain stem is the bottom most portion of the brain, connecting the cerebrum with the spinal cord.
The majority of brain stem tumors occur in the pons (middle brain stem), are diffusely infiltrating (they grow amidst the nerves), and therefore are not able to be surgically removed.
Glioma is a general name for any tumor that arises from the supportive tissue called glia, which help keep the neurons (“thinking cells”) in place and functioning well. The brain stem contains all of the “wires” converging from the brain to the spinal cord as well as important structures involved in eye movements, face and throat muscle control and sensation.
Source: The American Brain Tumor Association.
Diagnosis of Diffuse Pontine Gliomas
Diffuse pontine gliomas are located in the brainstem, at the base of the brain. They are usually diagnosed in children aged 5 to 10. They are difficult to treat because the tumor cells grow in between and around normal cells. It is impossible to remove a tumor in this area because it interferes with the functioning of this critical area of the brain.
What causes a diffuse pontine glioma?
We don’t know what causes a diffuse pontine glioma. There is no way to predict that a child will get brain cancer and nobody is to blame if a child develops a tumor. Researchers have been studying whether environmental factors, such as radiation, food, or chemicals can cause brain cancer. At the moment, there is no definite proof that there is a connection.
How many other children have diffuse pontine gliomas?
Diffuse pontine gliomas account for about 5-10 out of every 100 brain tumors in children. What are the medical symptoms of a diffuse pontine glioma? Some symptoms are muscle weakness on one side of the body, swallowing problems, speech problems, crossed eyes, drowsiness, hearing loss, and personality changes. The brainstem has cranial nerves that control many of these functions. The tumors affect these nerves and cause symptoms.
How do you know that a child has a diffuse pontine glioma?
Doctors and other medical professionals will use well-established diagnostic tests to see if a brain tumor is causing your child’s symptoms. These tests will include a physical examination, and brain scans such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The diagnosis is usually made based on the signs and symptoms in your child, and on the results of the MRI study. When the tumor can be identified on the MRI, a biopsy is not necessary.
What is the outcome for a child with a diffuse pontine glioma?
Because they are difficult to treat, the outcome for brain stem gliomas is poor. To improve the outcome, doctors have tried giving higher amounts of radiation, or using chemotherapy medicines to kill the tumor cells. Research is underway to achieve better results. When the tumor recurs, the focus of treatment is on managing symptoms to make sure the child is as comfortable as possible.
Source: About Kids Health. (2004). Diagnosing diffuse pontine gliomas.
One of Her Favorite Songs is “He Wants It All” By Forever Jones
