Alexa's Story

Alexa’s first year of life was healthy. I started taking her to Gymboree to be around other children her age. The first month of Gymboree was very trying because all she did was cry. She did not want to be there! I continued to humiliate myself and finally Alexa started enjoying herself. She would get excited when I told her that we were going to see Gymbo the Clown. Alexa even had two first birthday parties. One was held at the Jersey shore and the other at home.

When Alexa was 17 months old she came down with a cold along with a low-grade fever. Within a couple of days, her cold disappeared. However, her fever continued. This is when our dream of becoming parents turned into a nightmare. We took Alexa to the pediatrician on March 9, 2003 at 8:00 p.m., thinking that she might have an ear infection. Upon examination by the doctor, a mass was found on her kidney. By 10:00 p.m. we were in the emergency room at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Twelve hours later we were advised that Alexa had Stage IV Neuroblastoma (cancer of the nervous system). The cancer was in her bones, bone marrow, and there was a small amount in the lungs and liver. The hospital advised that her cancer could be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and two (2) stem cell transplants. Her complete treatment plan would be approximately 9-12 months. I could not understand how did I go from thinking she had an ear infection to knowing that my little girl had cancer and could possibly die.

Our first stay in the hospital was 3 1/2 weeks. During this time, Alexa had numerous tests done (CAT scan, MIBG scan, bone scan, chest x-rays, hearing, cardiograms). Alexa also had to have a central line inserted in her chest so that the chemotherapy and all blood tests could be performed through the lines. During this time she also had her stem cells harvested.

Alexa tolerated the chemotherapy well and the mass on her kidney seemed to be going down, and she was improving. By June, Alexa finished 3 rounds of chemotherapy and was now gearing up to have the mass removed from her kidney. All of the earlier tests had to be repeated to see if the chemotherapy worked. We were advised that the bone scan looked good and the bone marrow had less than 10% of the cancer cells present. I started thinking that Alexa was really going to get better until the results of the MIBG scan showed new spots in her lungs and on her liver. Alexa had to have a lung biopsy done to see whether the new spots were Neuroblastoma, scar tissue or a fungus. After two weeks, we were told that the spots were Neuroblastoma and that her treatment plan had to be changed. Alexa had one round of a different type of chemotherapy drug.

In July, just after having one round of the new drug, Alexa started coming down with high fevers and she was having difficulty breathing. It was at this time that the doctors advised my husband and I that the lesions in her lungs were spreading and that Alexa was terminal. I had the choice of staying in the hospital or bringing Alexa home, where she would be more comfortable. We chose to bring her home. On August 6, 2004, at home with Bill and I, Alexa lost her battle with Neuroblastoma.

Her story does not end but continues with the Alexa Nawrocki Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Inc. Through contributions and fundraisers, Alexa will help other children with cancer along with their families to try and make their stay at Children’s Hospital a little better. May it be a gift to a child or to ease the burdens that are placed on parents who have a child with cancer. Too many children are diagnosed with cancer each year. For further information, please contact us at:

Alexa Nawrocki Pediatric Cancer Foundation
P.O. Box 628
Marlton, NJ 08053
856-596-1359

Joann & Bill Nawrocki