My Story

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2002 to 2007
aged: 4
From: New York


Penelope Jane London
July 6, 2002 - May 19, 2007
Aged 4

Penelope Jane London was diagnosed with n-Myc Amplified Stage IV Neuroblastoma (the worst of the worst) on November 14th, 2003, when she was 16 months old. Neuroblastoma is rare and aggressive childhood cancer of specialized nerve cells called neural crest cells, cells that are involved in the development of the nervous system and other tissues.

Penny carried on with her life as much as possible, and didn't want any fuss. Although she was only young she eventually realised that something was happening, but whatever it took for her to be happy would happen.

She relapsed several times, each time it came back worse but she still managed to fight it stronger than ever. Until, in the early hours of the 19th May 2007 when her little body couldn't cope anymore and she eventually lost her 3 1/2 year battle, with her family by her side.

On the 18th May her Dad told us that he didn't think she would make it through the night, and he was completely true and he told us the things to remember:
-Penelope hasn't opened her eyes more all day
-Penelope must be blind in her left eye as it is purple and shut
-Penelope hasn't moved an inch on her own in four days
-Penelope has not eaten or had anything to drink in five days
-Penelope has lost the ability to use her left hand and her right hand is starting to fail too
-Penelope has a lesion coming out of her skull and keeps complaining of dizziness
-Penelope's legs have been hurting all the time
-Penelope's left leg is believed to be fractured and she is believed to have internal bleeding in her leg
-Penelope's abdomen is very distended and making her very uncomfortable
-Penelope can no longer suck her thumb or hold her "Bear Bear"
-Penelope can barely find the strength to utter a word and we desperately try to decipher the sounds coming out of her mouth
-Penelope is on more methadone than can be believed

-Penelope still nods when asked if she want to be told stories
-Penelope has told everyone she wants them to be happy
-Penelope told Daddy "I am not crying, so you don't cry" (I am trying but it is so hard)
-Penelope is told "We love you" by her mommy and daddy about 1,000 times a day
-Penelope has not complained ONCE about what is happening to her
-Penelope, when told that there is a place called heaven that waits for her, told me "I know. I will go when I am ready"

Hours later at 05:30am she took her last breath in his arms.

Hi, We just wanted to let people know that we are having a memorial service for Penelope on SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 8th. We have not worked out all the details yet but if you are interested please save the date. It will be in New York City and we will be unveiling a plaque in Penelope's honor at the foot of a grove of magnolia trees in Central Park. Penelope loved magnolia trees and loved Central Park too.

Anyway, we will share more details when we figure them out but we are settled on the date.

We continue to miss Penelope so deeply and the pain of her loss is still so raw. It is so hard to be without her beautiful smile, laugh, voice and to know how much she would be loving her summer swimming and playing and eating popsicles and taking bubble baths with Oliver, hanging out with Isabelle and on and on.

We love you forever sweetheart. Our hearts are always connected.



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