Memorial preferred to:
Kami Nguyen Memorial fund at US Bank
US Bank
1817 Plymouth Road South
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Phone: 952-540-8394
Please purchase a gift from the website:
http://www.cafeshops.com/giftsbygina
Dear Friends,
At the end of March, 2002 our daughter, Kami Nguyen, was diagnosed with a tumor inside her spinal cord. This condition is extremely rare. Our family went to see a specialist in New York where surgery was performed. We were expecting the tumor to be benign but found out it was malignant. We came back to St. Paul for radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The tumor caused Kami's right leg to loose function and she was unable to walk without assistance and needed to be in a wheelchair. During the summer of 2002 Kami went through radiation, chemotherapy, and physical therapy as an outpatient at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics. Midway through the summer Kami suffered a lot of nerve pain and an MRI showed significant tumor growth. She was then given higher doses of chemotherapy which slowed down the tumor growth. Unfortunately small tumors were also detected elsewhere on her spine. Throughout all this, Kami had to be on a steroid called decadron which was the only drug that reduced her pain. The decadron dramatically increased her appetite. She gained weight and was very uncomfortable. She also lost her hair and learned to live without her beautiful jet black hair.
In the winter of 2003 the tumor began to shrink and miraculously in the spring, she regained her ability to walk. We were able to get her off decadron, she lost all the weight she had gained, and she had a glorious summer walking on beaches, playing running games, and riding horses.
Tragically, in the fall of 2003 the tumors that were elsewhere in her spine began to grow. She underwent radiation in a different place and was given more chemotherapy and decadron for pain. Things appeared to be stable after radiation, but then in the winter of 2004 there was more growth in different areas of the spine. We tried many different kinds of chemotherapy drugs which seemed to slow things down and even reduce the tumors somewhat.
We were told from the beginning that there was nothing to cure Kami's type of cancer, but we were hopeful that something could be found or something could be done. In the end cancer overtook Kami's body. Kami kept fighting until the last breath of her life. She was courageous and determined to have a great quality of life. She inspired us to keep fighting for what we believed in despite all the adversaries and barriers that we had to overcome. Kami spoke her mind with no fear. She showed us how to love and bring out our compassion. Kami was very creative. She helped to make her life fun and exciting every day. Many people loved her wit and zest for life. Kami loved learning. She always woke up early and looked forward to a great day at school. She loved her friends and her teachers. Kami, we miss you and we love you so much. You are our Beautiful Spirit.
We would want more energy, money, and effort to be invested in fighting the cancer war so children don't have to suffer so much. Kami wanted all of us to be a part of this great responsibility. Kami always said "Do it right and do it now, life is precious, don't wait."
Thank you,
Francois and Kathryne Nguyen