COLUMBUS, Ohio — Grace Fryfogle is by anyone’s measure a fighter. Born with Down syndrome, Grace also came into the world with congenital heart disease.
“She was born with a very large hole in her heart,” her mom Kim said.
But the two heart surgeries and hospitals were not Gracie's biggest battles to come.
In 2019, doctors diagnosed Grace with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, B cell type at the age of 3. Since then, Grace has lived a life of grueling chemotherapy, countless needle sticks and sickening side effects.
“I can't tell you how many times we had to hold her down,” Grace’s father Derek Fryfogle told. “It was traumatic,” he added while fighting back tears.
The Fryfogle's want people to know Gracie likely wouldn't be alive if not for organizations like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Money raised for research leads to better treatment plans for patients young and old.
“Obviously we're very grateful for what's happened so far with you know, advancements and treatment and the fact that we get to our doctor but you know there's so far to go still,” Derek added.
“The treatment itself is harsh you know. It’s pretty prevalent that people have lifelong issues because of the treatments,” Kim said. “She almost lost function of her pancreas during treatment. She had her cardiac issues during the time and those were all side effects to the treatment,” she added.
In January 2022, Gracie got to ring the bell at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, indicating the completion of her chemotherapy treatment. But her parents say the fight to save children from future treatment side effects will always be ongoing until cancer research shifts the focus onto kids too.
“Not only are we surviving and thriving after cancer, but we're also surviving and thriving after the treatment of the cancer,” Kim said.
On Friday, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is hosting its annual “Light the Night” walk in Columbus on Friday and 10TV is proud to be this year’s media sponsor.
Light the Night helps raise money toward research, advocacy and support for blood cancer patients and their families.