Olivia was born 10 1/2 weeks prematurely with a double aortic arch (DAA). After 6 years in and out of the hospital, Olivia had a procedure to repair the DAA. At age 9, Olivia was diagnosed with another life-threatening condition, stage IV alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the paranasal sinuses. Olivia had emergency surgery to debulk the tumor behind her eye in November of 2021. One week later she had a craniotomy to further remove the mass. Olivia’s treatment plan calls for 66 weeks of chemotherapy as well as 28 proton radiation treatments at St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee.
Olivia began chemotherapy the week of Christmas 2021. She and her mother spent 8 weeks in Memphis for radiation and continued chemo treatments beginning in mid-March of 2022. Olivia has 45 chemotherapies remaining. While her tumor has responded well to treatment, she continues to develop side effects which make her recovery uncomfortable and often painful. The OliviaStrong Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that was created by Kevin and Christina (Olivia's parents) to fund pediatric cancer research and to help families facing childhood cancer.
To learn more information about Olivia, visit oliviastrongfoundation.org. You can also join the conversation on social media using #OliviaStrong and following OliviaStrong Foundation, Inc. on Facebook.