COLLEAGUES HELP FAMILY COPE WITH TEEN DAUGHTER'S ILLNESS.Byline: KAREN THACKER Community Columnist In November, 13-year-old Nicole Harrod was enjoying basketball, tap dancing, jazz and her newborn twin brothers. But then she starting having dizzy spells, double vision and numbness. Just before Christmas, doctors discovered a malignant brain tumor Brain Tumor Definition A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain. Unlike other tumors, brain tumors spread by local extension and rarely metastasize (spread) outside the brain. at the stem of her brain. Doctors estimate she has six months to live. John and Claudia Buckley are searching for options in the inconceivable reality that a tumor tumor: see neoplasm. is slowly taking away Nicole's motor skills with fatal consequences. Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. co-workers have donated their leave time so the Buckleys can spend time with Nicole and attend to her medical needs. The Buckleys are both employees of the Edwards Air Force Base jet engine shop and used up all their leave to care for their newborns before heading back to work, only to discover Nicole's health problems a few weeks later. ``It's one of those nightmares,'' John Buckley John Buckley may be:
His once healthy and active stepdaughter step·daugh·ter n. A spouse's daughter by a previous union. stepdaughter Noun a daughter of one's husband or wife by an earlier relationship Noun 1. now ``can't walk down the hallway without assistance.'' Fellow Edwards employees are rallying around the family, donating leave time so the parents can be with her and attend to her medical needs. They also helped set up a fund under Nicole's name at Edwards Federal Credit Union and at Sierra National Bank in Tehachapi, where the family lives. More than $3,000 has been raised so far, half used for travel and doctor appointments for specialists in ``experimental'' treatments not covered not covered Health care adjective Referring to a procedure, test or other health service to which a policy holder or insurance beneficiary is not entitled under the terms of the policy or payment system–eg, Medicare. Cf Covered. by insurance, said friend and supervisor Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Mundt-Charles. A neurosurgeon neurosurgeon a physician who specializes in neurosurgery. neurosurgeon A surgeon specialized in managing diseases of the brain, spine and peripheral nerves Meat & potatoes diseases Brain tumors, spinal cord disease Salary $245K + 15% bonus. was going to attempt to remove part of Nicole's tumor, but it now appears too risky. The only option left is radiation therapy to reduce the tumor's size. The tumor was one centimeter centimeter (sĕn`tĭmē'tər), abbr. cm, unit of length equal to 0.01 meter, the basic unit of length in the metric system. The centimeter is the unit of length in the cgs system. It is approximately equal to 0. when discovered and a month later grew to 3.5 centimeters. She's lost all but a little hearing in one ear, her vision is blurred and she wears a patch over one eye. ``It's a matter of prolonging life and giving her a quality life,'' John Buckley said. ``There's no pain involved (with the tumor), she'll just start losing motor functions.'' Nicole now goes to the Florence R. Wheeler Cancer Center in Bakersfield five days a week. Although out of school for several weeks, she has returned to class at Jacobsen Junior High School, where she has a 3.8 grade-point average. She now attends half days, opting to leave out arts and physical education-type classes. Nicole has been eager to get on with her regular life of school and family and has held up really well, Buckley said. Nicole is waiting to hear if the Make A Wish Foundation will meet her dream of sending her to Hawaii to swim with dolphins. She wanted to be a psychologist when she grows up but she now has changed that ambition to becoming a pediatric pediatric /pe·di·at·ric/ (pe?de-at´rik) pertaining to the health of children. pe·di·at·ric adj. Of or relating to pediatrics. surgeon, after seeing so many doctors recently. ``She's still thinking for the future,'' Buckley said. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Nicole Harrod Fighting brain tumor |
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