Deb Here!  (A.k.a Ella’s Step-Mommy) A few days ago Glen, Alycia, Ella and I went back down to Kaiser Oakland to review Ella’s recent MRI results with Dr. Kim.  The scans show that Ella’s brain is healing, and shows no signs of cancer.  GREAT NEWS!!!  We are all still decompressing from the stress that built [...]

Deb here to share positive updates… Thank you to each and every one of you for all of your continued support.  We are so thankful to have Ella home, and apologize for not keeping you updated on her progress.  We all have been so busy with our new routines. It’s been almost 3 months since [...]

Well everyone, it’s been a little over a month since we last posted an update.  We’ve been working hard on a new routine with Ella home, it’s been a struggle to say the least, but we’re feeling more and more comfortable every day.  Ella as well is settling in, I will say much better than [...]

And there is a lot of progress and a lot of joy being had by both the Stewart and Madden families.  We are all tired, and stressed, and feel like we should all go go to therapy or take a long vacation or both.  We’re getting a good routine down; Ella is with dad and [...]

Here is something for those of you who came down on me for not being hopeful enough, during the worst of the last 6 months. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41299984/ns/health-cancer/

Deb here to give you some long awaited Ella updates… What an amazing feeling to come home from work to a peaceful home with Ella resting, and Glen doing what he does best – being a dad! It’s been months since I’ve heard what I am hearing now.  Glen playing Ella lullabies on the guitar, [...]

Think back 5 and a half months ago.  What was happening in your life?  Do you remember the little details from each day, how the air smelled, the sounds around you?  Do you remember the little things your child did that made you laugh, or angry, confused?  How about your spouse, do you remember some [...]

Is there a God?  Is there something in the water up here on Peaks Pike Rd?  It’s gotta be something super-natural, because we have some incredibly compassionate folks up here on the hill.  Yesterday, as I wrote about in the last blog, our landlord and neighbor Jason came over and helped me build the wheelchair [...]

Yesterday was a very difficult day for all of us.  Waiting to hear the results of Ella’s MRI brought us all back to those days when our emotions were in tatters, when we were waking each day not knowing if this would be Ella’s last.  I tried very hard to concentrate on the logic; Ella [...]

Ella will have one last MRI before we leave UCSF, after nearly five straight months in the hospital.  From coma and despair, to hope and joy, our family has been through more in this five months than most will ever experience in their lives.  The feeling of not knowing if your child will live or [...]