Our Warriors Who Inspire Us

Addison is a spunky and sweet ray of sunshine. She is just like any other normal 10-year-old with one exception, she is fighting for her life. At just 6-years-old, she was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare and inoperable brain tumor that currently has no cure, on March 5, 2019. What was just a sudden inward-turned eye and a few headaches turned into the Varns’ worst nightmare.  The standard treatment is radiation which can shrink the tumor and buy more time, but radiation only slows the progression down. Once the effects of radiation wear off, the tumor will start growing with a vengeance.

At the time of diagnosis, the prognosis was 9-18 months. Addison just celebrated 3 years post-diagnosis. To say she has fought with all her might to get here is an understatement. She has gone through 62 sessions of radiation unsedated, participated in three research clinical trials, countless pricks and lab draws, numerous brain and spine MRIs unsedated, and still continues to go to school every day and maintains all A's and B's. 

Through all of it, she has remained positive and optimistic knowing that God is stronger than these “stupid tumors.” Her family is praying so hard for a miracle and has spent the last 40 months trying to live their best days ever. Addison has so much more life to live and it is her family's goal to show her as much of the world as they can and to make all of her dreams come true. This fight ain’t over!

#AddisonsSunshine

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