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THIS WEBSITE WAS CREATED FOR MARISSA BY HER PARENTS, NICOLE AND CHRIS, HER BROTHER, AIDEN, AND SISTER, ADRIANNA. MARISSA WAS BORN ON JUNE 2, 2008, AT THE TENDER AGE OF 16 MONTHS MARISSA WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEUROBLASTOMA WHICh IS A CANCER OF THE ADRENAL GLAND. SHE WAS A VERY STRONG LITTLE GIRL WHO ALWAYS WORE A SMILE AND HER HEART ON HER SLEEVE. SHE CONQUERED CHEMO, RADIATION, A STEM CELL TRANSPLANT IN WHICH WE ALMOST LOST HER A FEW TIMES, AND THEN SHE STARTED IMMUNOTHERAPY. DURIONG IMMUNOTHERAPY, HOWEVER SHE HAD AN ALLERGIC REACTION THAT THREATENED HER WELL BEING SO THE DOCTORS ALONG WITH CHRIS AND MYSELF THOUGHT IT BEST TO STOP. SOON AFTER HER 2ND BIRTHDAY WE GOT THE BEST NEWS MARISSA'S CANCER WAS IN REMISSION, FINALLY, WE COULD BE A FAMILY AGAIN!!! OUR CELEBRATION WOULD BE SHORT LIVED HOWEVER. ON NOVEMBER 5, 2010, WE TOOK MARISSA IN FOR ROUTINE SCANS. THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN OUR MINDS THAT MARISSA'S SCANS WOULD COME OUT CLEAR. THE DOCTORS GAVE HER A 60 % PERCENTILE OF SURVIVORSHIP. TO OUR AMAZEMENT THE CANCER HAD COME BACK. IT WAS IN HER BRAIN AND IT WAS INOPPERABLE. WE WERE COMPLETELY DEVASTATED. SO MANY QUESTIONS FLLOODED OUR HEADS....ESPECIALLY WHY. THE DOCTORS ONLY GAVE MARISSA 3 MONTHS. THEY SAID IF WE DID RADIATION TO HER SCULL THAT IT COULD PROLONG LIFE BUT ONLY A FEW EXTRA MONTHS. SO LIKE ANY PARENT WE AGREED. IT WAS ONLY TO BE 8 CYCLES WHICH IS 8 DAYS, SO WE PRESSED ON. AFTER THE SECOND DAY HOWEVER, AND MANY DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN CHRIS AND I, WE HAD DECIDED THAT WE COULD NO LONGER BE SELFISH. WE HAD MARISSA FOR AN EXTRA YEAR AND A HALF. IT WAS UNFAIR TO HER TO KEEP HER AROUND LONGER AND IT WAS HER THAT WOULD HAVE TO ENDURE MORE PAIN. SO WE AS HER PARENTS MADE THE UNSELFISH DECISION TO STOP RADIATION, AND TAKE MARISSA HOME WHERE SHE COULD BE A NORMAL 2 YEAR OLD FOR THE REST OF HER DAYS. WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE MARISSA TO DISNEY WORLD A WISH GRANTED BY "MAKE A WISH FOUNDATION," AND THE PLACE WE STAYED WAS AMAZING, "GIVE KIDS THE WORLD." THEY DO EXACTLY WHAT THEIR TITLE SAYS. THEY GIVE KIDS THE WORLD. WE WERE SO HAPPY TO SHARE THAT TIME WITH HER AND OUR 2 OTHER CHILDREN, GETTING AWAY FROM THE HARSH REALITY THAT WAS OUR LIVES. A WEEK AFTER WE CAME HOME IT WAS CHRISTMAS, UNFORTUNATELY MARISSA COULD NOT ENJOY IT AS MOST KIDS DO. SHE WAS DETERIORATING BEFORE OUR EYES. WE KNEW MARISSA'S SHORT LITTLE LIFE WAS COMING TO AN END BUT WE TOOK EVERY DAY, DAY BY DAY. WE LOOKED FORWARD TO ATLEAST BRINGING IN 2011 WITH HER, BUT WE NEVER MADE IT THAT FAR. NOW THAT WE LOOK BACK I THINK CHRIS AND I KNEW HER TIME WAS GETTING SHORTER, WE STARTED HAVING FAMILY AND FRIENDS OVER TO SAY GOODBYE. AT ABOUT 12:30, I HAD CALLED MARISSA'S CASE MANAGER THRU HOSPICE TO COME BY AND CHECK ON HER. THE CASE MANAGER ARRIVED AT ABOUT 2:00 PM, AND AT 2:05 MARISSA PASSED PEACEFULLY WITH ALL HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS AROUND HER. MARISSA TAUGHT US SO MUCH IN HER SHORT LITTLE LIFE. WE ARE GOING TO MISS HER AND HER BEAUTIFUL SMILING FACE, BUT WE KNOW HAVE THE MOST PRECIOUS LITTLE ANGEL WATCHING OVER US. WE MISS U ROO. LOVE U. THIS PAGE IS DEDICATED TO U LOVEY!!!