Fighting Pediatric Cancer: Madison’s Story
Madison Fedak
Osteosarcoma
DECEMBER, 2019 UPDATE: Madison Fedak passed away from Osteosarcoma on December 21, 2019, at 7 years old. Thank you, Madison for your zest for life and for inspiring all of us at the foundation. We only wish we could have done enough in time to help save your life. You will forever be in our hearts as we push forward in your honor.
SEPTEMBER, 2019 UPDATE: Madison and her family learned that her cancer returned when a tumor was found in her lungs. It was a very scary couple of days for her parents as they absorbed the news. Prior to learning the news, Madison was air-lifted to Levine Children’s due to coughing up a significant amount of blood.
Madison had her bone scan and received great news that there was no evidence of disease in her bones. This means Madison’s chance of survival goes up and she will not have to go through chemotherapy again. This also means that her body won’t have to fight the effects of chemo.
Madison also had surgery to replace the screw in her leg which was already planned. She needed to shorter one as her body grows and it was quick, easy, and successful.
JULY, 2019 UPDATE: Madison and her family just got back from her Make-A-Wish trip to Los Angeles. She didn’t ask to meet Taylor Swift or go to Disney World. She wished to meet Duff Goldman, a silly and bald baker. And what happened? They became best friends of course! Read the full blog post, Big Accomplishments for This Little Cancer Warrior.
JUNE, 2019 UPDATE: Madison is headed to L.A. to bake with Duff Goldman of Kids Baking Championship and you helped make that happen! Remember Isabella’s Birthday Wish Fundraiser in March? Well, we love when things come around full circle. The timing was just right when we gifted $6,000 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to go towards a child’s wish… Madison’s wish! Read the full post, A Baking Wish of a Lifetime.
Madison & her Care Team
FEBRUARY, 2019 UPDATE: After almost a year ago of being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare pediatric bone cancer, Madison received the news she has been fighting so hard to hear at her 3 months scan yesterday from Dr. Oesterheld. SHE BEAT CANCER. Madison will continue to have maintenance scans and therapy on her leg, but was able to ‘Ring the Bell’ at Levine Children’s Hospital signifying the end of her treatment and beginning of living life cancer-free!
After several rounds of chemotherapy in 2018 to shrink the tumor on her femur, she had surgery to remove her right femur and replace it with one from a cadaver. Fortunately, the medical team was able to remove most of the tumor and save both of Madison’s growth plates. If you are familiar with Madison’s story (posted below), you will remember her parents promised her a puppy to help motivate her to learn to walk again. And just a few weeks ago Oakley, a black Goldendoodle, came home with her!
Madison & Meredith, Program Director at Levine’s Seacrest Studios
Madison was full of giggles and smiles all afternoon. Here she is pictured with some of her Levine Care Team who she adores! And with Meredith, Levine’s Seacrest Studios Coordinator, who naturally showed up in a unicorn onesie to celebrate. We don’t want to miss giving Dr. Oesterheld credit for wearing pink and unicorn socks for the occasion! Levine’s Doctors, Nurses, Child Life Specialists, Staff… and yes dancing Seacrest Studios Unicorns are simply the best. The. Very. Best.
Madison has so much to look forward to as her family just learned she gets her Make-A-Wish trip to L.A. to visit Duff Goldman of Kids Baking Championship. How cool would it be to say… ‘I hung out with Duff’. ‘I baked a cake with Duff’. ‘Yup, Duff and I are BFFs.’ We are beyond excited for this little baker and can’t wait to see more from their trip.
Congratulations Madison, we are so proud of all your hard work and determination! And thank you to everyone at Levine’s for everything you do for Madison and other kids fighting cancer!
Congratulations Madison, we are so proud of all your hard work and determination! And thank you to everyone at Levine’s for everything you do for kids fighting cancer!
xx
MADISON’S STORY (Recorded September 2018)
OCTOBER 2018 UPDATE: BIG HEROES COME IN SMALL PACKAGES
Madison and mom Laura
Madison was diagnosed in April of 2018 with osteosarcoma at age five. After several rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor on her femur, she had surgery to remove her right femur and replace it with one from a cadaver. Fortunately, the medical team was able to remove most of the tumor and save both of Madison’s growth plates. She continues to receive chemotherapy and recover from her surgery. Once Madison gets the green light from her doctors to be more mobile, she is determined to learn to walk again so she can earn a super cute bribe from her parents – a Golden Retriever puppy.
A Community of Support
Madison and her family live two hours from Charlotte in Scotland County. She and her mom make the drive each week to Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital where Madison receives in-patient treatment Thursday-Saturday. They then return home for four days to be with their family – Madison’s dad, Michael, and big sister, Riley – and where Laura teaches three days a week.
“Madison’s diagnosis has changed us all,” says Laura. “Michael and I have to raise each of our daughters as single parents during the days when we are in Charlotte for treatment. The hardest part is not being together under the same roof. We are very grateful for the great friends we have made through this journey. You realize you can’t do this alone so you learn to rely on support from others.”
Team Madison
For the remainder of the year, Madison will be homebound where she loves to cook, bake, do crafts and make “how-to” videos on her mom’s phone. When she finishes chemo in December, she’ll resume her favorite activities including dance classes, swimming and learning how to ride her bike.
Chef Madison
In January, she will start kindergarten at the school where Laura teaches and where they already have a tremendous community of support. Faculty and students have created “Team Madison” in honor of Madison for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Scotland County. Laura and Madison stay busy supporting the team. It all started with their Levine Children’s Hospital life coach bringing them some beads to make necklaces and bracelets. From there, Laura and Madison started making “Madison’s Hope Rope” key chains that they give to patients at Levine Children’s Hospital and sell to raise funds for their Relay For Life team and other cancer organizations.
“Madison is our hero and is such an inspiration,” says Laura. “She’s such a good kid and is all about wanting to help other people. Even though she’s five, she’s changing people’s lives.”
Madison and sister Riley
