Hannah Moody sits with visiting nurse Carma
Benson as she counts with help from her mother Connie. The
four-year-old returned home after a session of chemotherapy at
Children's Hospital on Sunday.
TREVOR JONES/Times
Recorder
Hannah Moody swings in the back yard of her
Adamsville home. She must were a face mask and protect herself
from the sun when she is outside.
ADAMSVILLE -- Wednesday was a good day for Hannah Moody.
The 4-year-old went on an 8-mile bike ride with her mom, Connie,
had chicken nuggets from McDonald's for dinner and swung on her
swingset outside.
Everything about her was positive.
If it weren't for her 28-pound frame, pale skin and bald head, it
would be hard to believe she is battling cancer.
The battle begins
Last September, Connie had taken Hannah to the doctor for what
she thought would be routine check-up. She had been a very healthy
baby and little girl. Her normal physician was not available, so Dr.
Gerald Tiberio examined Hannah and discovered she had a rare cancer
called Wilm's Tumor Stage 4 Difuse Anaplasis.
"If he hadn't found it, it would have been too late," Connie
said. "I don't think I can ever properly thank him."
The months that followed were filled with endless trips to
Children's Hospital, the removal of one of her kidneys,
chemotherapy, feeding machines, catheters and medicine.
She takes three daily medications, and more on the weekends. If
she goes outside, she goes with a mask, hat and sunscreen to protect
her.
And although she is only 4, she knows the precautions she must
take.
"She's really good about washing her hands, and she's really good
about making sure other people do too," said Carma Bensen, who along
with Dawn Nixon is a home health care nurse for Hannah.
When they are outside, she said Hannah is watchful of things like
people mowing their lawns, knowing she can't be around it. Bensen is
constantly amazed with the way Hannah handles herself.
On Sunday, Hannah was released from the hospital from her latest
chemotherapy session, and the news has been positive.
Connie said Hannah has only two more scheduled chemotherapy
sessions in July, after which she will have a CT scan to determine
whether the cancer is gone. At one point she had 35 nodules in her
lungs, but now there are only two spots, which Connie said may be
just scar tissue.
"I'm confident she's going to beat this," Connie said.
It wasn't always that way.
Worldwide support
When she first learned her daughter had cancer, she immediately
believed Hannah had a death sentence. She still has bad days when
she doubts, but thanks to the support she has received from family,
friends and the community, she sees a brighter future.
But she remains surprised with how Hannah's story has touched
people. When they spent November and December in the hospital, three
women from the Adamsville community -- Ellen Merriam, Sharon
Wisecarver and Wanda Green -- decorated the Christmas tree Hannah
never got the chance to decorate and brought presents for the family
when they returned.
The three women also set up an account for donations to the
family. A local 4-H group raised $500 without Connie even knowing it
until a couple of the young girls showed up on her doorstep to ask
how Hannah was doing.
One of the most touching shows of support have been from complete
strangers. Her cousin, Robbie Harper, is serving in the military in
Iraq. He told the other soldiers about Hannah and set up a box for
them to write letters or send postcards. Soon, dozens of letters
came flooding into the Moody household.
"They are over there fighting a war, and they took time to write
to her. I just think that is so amazing,'' Connie said holding the
binder which contains all the letters. "They tell her that they she
is their hero."
Connie has been writing back to them and sending along pictures
Hannah has colored. One of her favorite letters came from a soldier
who had told his girlfriend about this young girl from Ohio battling
cancer. To his surprise, his girlfriend responded that not only was
she familiar with the story, but she had met Hannah since she is a
nurse at Children's Hospital.
Hannah even has her own Web site, visited by people around the
world.
In November, the Make-A-Wish Foundation is sending Hannah and her
family to Disney World.
"Without the support from friends, family and the community, I
don't think she would be doing as well as she is," Connie said.
A united family
Connie and Brian Moody have been married about 15 years. Not only
do they have Hannah, but also Steven and Allie.
When Hannah became ill, Connie had to quit her job with The
Longaberger Co. to be with her. Brian continued to work full time,
but he doesn't let his job keep him from Hannah. Connie said one day
her husband got off of a 13-hour shift, spent all night with Hannah
and went with them to Columbus in the morning, not going to bed
until 7 p.m.
Steven, 14, started researching Wilm's Tumor on the Internet when
he found out. At age 6, Allie doesn't really have an understanding
of what cancer is, but her mother believes no one really ever
understands it fully.
Connie said having the home health care nurses has helped her not
only have time to herself, but to spend the time with her other
children.
"I've been doing this for 24 years, and I have never seen a more
dedicated mother," Bensen said. "She knows everything about what
Hannah needs and she takes care of it. I can tell you that is not
always the case."
A new future
Dressed in her "Dora the Explorer" T-shirt and shorts, Hannah
opens her Care Bear book. She pushes a button on the side, and music
starts playing.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star," she begins to sing.
Her mother and Carma look on, smiling at her. At only 4, she can
count to 14 in English and up to six in Spanish. She is looking
forward to going to kindergarten and spending time with other kids.
"I think she thinks every kids grows up this way," Connie said.
Getting the chance to grow up is what Connie prays and what she
believes will happen. Even though six out of 10 children have a
relapse they don't always survive, those around Hannah don't think
she will be one of those statistics.
"She's going to be her mother's miracle," Benson said.
Even if the CT scan at the end of July comes out positive, Hannah
will have scans every three months. But she has shown she can handle
it.
Hannah has become an inspiration to others, but perhaps most
importantly she has inspired her mother.
"My goal when she beats this is to go back to college and become
a nurse," she said. "I want to go back to Children's Hospital and
work with the children who have cancer. I have seen and met so many
of them that I just want to help them."
