Breanna Fowler, 4, who was diagnosed with stage-four cancer in September 2010, is currently undergoing research treatments at the IWK Hospital in Halifax.
The youngster, who will be five in November, is the first child to receive the treatment at the hospital. She is also only one of about 125 children in total to receive the experimental treatment for neuroblastoma, according to her mother Sarah.
"She is getting a research treatment. So it's five cycles of different meds. She's actually the first one at this hospital to receive this treatment," Sarah said.
"So it's just a new treatment that they are hoping will help cure her. As of right now, her tumours are still active and still there, so it hasn't worked yet. So we might have to go into more radiation or surgery or something else after all of this."
Neuroblastoma is a malignant, cancerous tumour that develops from nerve tissue in infants and children.
In an effort to raise awareness of the disease and ultimately more money for research, Breanna's parents have been offered the opportunity of having their daughter's face and information on neuroblastoma placed on prime sponsorship spots on a Nationwide Nascar race.
"The more people that know about it, the more funding that will go to that research and hopefully find a cure for these kids," she said.
"Hopefully, more people will see her name and her picture."
The sponsorship sign, headlined Neuroblastoma Awareness, includes Breanna's picture and invites viewers to follow her story on a website that is also included on the sign.
The signs, donated by Sid Sells Signs in Truro, will be placed on the lower right quarter panels of the No. 52 Nationwide car belonging to Jimmy Means Racing and driven by veteran Nascar racer Kevin LePage.
The sponsorship opportunity came about thanks to the generosity of husband and wife Klaine Johnson and Heather Allen, who own Forest Hills Wild Blueberries in Cumberland County.
Allen, a medical researcher at Dalhousie University befriended Breanna's family after learning of the girl's plight over the Internet.
"I'm at Dal and at the hospital every day so I just reached out to them, and her family is just as much a part of my family as I am theirs, now," she said.
An earlier blueberry fundraiser held by Allen for Breanna generated $5,000.
Allen and her husband have sponsored the 52 car in the past and in July they were at a race in New Hampshire where they also got to work with the pit crew.
When sponsorship staff learned of the blueberry fundraiser, they then offered the sponsorship spots, worth several thousand dollars, free of charge to help aid Breanna's effort.
"Hopefully people will see it and (create) more understanding and the more money that is raised for research the more it can help Breanna,"
Allen said. "That's what I've been trying to do anyway I can."
The couple will also have a chance to once again work closely with the crew of the 52 car.
"So we're going to work with them and help them work on the car. I'm going to be the gas girl, as in feed them," Allen said, with a chuckle. "And they'll give us the space on the race car to put up for neuroblastoma awareness and Breanna's info."
For more information on Breanna's story log on to CaringBridge.org.
Amherst Daily News
