HER STORY
Our journey begins with normal life. A 16 year old full of life and personality. She started complaining of nausea and headaches. Her eye doctor urged us to get a scan. This is the night before the scan. This is iconic Payton….silly and a smile that lifts the room..
Payton had the MRI late September of 2021. John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital of Tampa Bay called us in that night near midnight. We were informed that it was a tumor. Surgery was scheduled for Wednesday. This picture was presurgery as we waited.
After surgery, her personality continues to shine. She had that nothing can stop her attitude.
With surgery down, she was ready to tackle six weeks of radiation at Tampa General.
Payton demanded on attending all her normal events. Cancer was not going to hold her back at any level. This picture was taken at her concert bands final performance. Sick as can be but she was determined to perform.
The first round of chemotherapy and radiation didn’t work. She went through her second brain surgery on May 6th which was the day before her 16th birthday.
Two weeks post second surgery, Payton demanded that we contact her neurosurgeon to get permission to dance at her recital. He was all for it!
Payton did everything in style. We are waiting for an oncology visit to discuss port placement for her third type of chemo.
In October of 2022, Payton developed hydrocephalus which is fluid on the brain. She had to go through emergency surgery. She developed a difficulty in reading and writing which were two of her passions. She refused to give up her college level classes and fought for her grades. She refused to give up!
Payton had waited a long time to be of the age to go Black Friday shopping. We had a blast.
LifePath Hospice gifted us with tickets to Busch Gardens where Payton got to see her favorite – the Giraffe!
This is the last outing we had on Sunday, January 8th. She was bored hanging around the house so we took the dogs to Alderman Ford Park. Our baby went home to our Lord on January 10th. She was surrounded by her family, Buck and her dogs. She went in peace and love.