May 4, 2014 The last 2 years have been trying. With Zoe's diagnoses there is not a clear treatment plan, not enough research has been done or the data that is coming back from previous research is not clear. In February of 2013 we decided we could not keep Zoe on Chemo forever and the research looked like it was safe to come off. We had a party and celebrated 5 years of kicking cancers butt and NO MORE MEDS!! April we ran tests to check and make sure everything was going smooth.. it was not! Zoe's Chromosome abnormality was back. Zoe was in a molecular relapse. We went in and had a bone marrow aspirate and lumbar puncture to see if the leukemic cells were back as well, luckily they were not. We started Zoe back on a new TKI (Chemo pill) It took until December for Zoe to be back in a full remission. We are happy to report she has remained in remission since then. This has been scary for Zoe. She is not 4 years old anymore, she understands what cancer is, how it hurts and how it can kill. She has nightmares about dying and talks about being afraid she will have to go through treatment again. She is not the only one who is afraid. I worry everyday. I read and research new treatments and try to create a plan for if or when that time comes, how I will tell her. On a happier note... Zoe is finishing up the 4th grade and doing well. She is in Dance (Hip Hop, ballet, and contemporary) and loving every minute. She is hoping I will get her a cellphone and let her start Horseback riding lessons this summer! We are looking forward to a great summer and living and loving every minute of our time. 2010 Ambassador Kid Zoe looks like a 5-year-old girl without a care in the world. Her confident strut challenges that of any runway model. But behind an endearing laugh and assertive swagger is a girl whose wig conceals her bald head - a girl who has spent over eighteen months fighting for her life. Zoe's mother, Suzanne, first suspected something was wrong when Zoe started limping, but the doctors chalked it up to growing pains. Zoe's conditions dramatically worsened when her typically animated daughter stopped moving almost entirely. Zoe has acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), testing positive for the Philadelphia chromosome, a mutation of the cancer cells. It's a treatable cancer, but not a curable one - at least not yet. "Without research, my daughter wouldn't be here today," said Suzanne, Zoe's mom. "They would have treated her for ALL and never known about the chromosomal change." A daily chemotherapy pill makes Zoe a survivor, but its long term effects remain unknown. Suzanne wonders what her daughter's future holds. Zoe's dreams change as quickly as her moods. Whether it's being a dancer today or a horseback rider tomorrow, one desire remains consistent: Zoe dreams of being a mother. But while her ongoing treatment saves her life, it will also prevent her from bearing children. Attending public school is too risky for her health, so for now, Zoe's currently learning how to write from her home-school teacher. Surgeries and lumbar punctures have replaced band-aids and thermometers when she plays doctor, and, just like Zoe, all of her dolls have ports and central lines. Yet in the midst of it all, Zoe continues living her spirited life. Photo by Rachel Kemble Photography _______________________________________________ My name is Zoe. I am 4 years old and just found out I have leukemia. Before I got sick I loved going to preschool and playing with my friends. Some of my favorite things to do were swing really high and ride my bike. I have the bestest dog named Jake. I miss him a lot. I really love my baby dolls and playing dress up.