The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C., Jan A. Igoe Column: Lindsey’s Little Miracles a Sharing Event
By Jan A. Igoe, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Nov. 8–It was just a routine annual pediatric exam for a seemingly healthy baby when Dr. Alfonso Sangtian, a local pediatrician, detected a mass in Lindsey Grubbs’ abdomen. The next day, 1-year-old Lindsey and her parents arrived at Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center, wondering why they were surrounded by bald-headed children wearing surgical masks and towing IV poles behind them.
Lindsey was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer that spreads quickly. A softball-sized tumor had invaded her liver and wrapped around an artery. Five nodules were discovered on her lungs, all inoperable.
“The prognosis was grim. There’s a 50/50 chance chemo will even work,” said her mother, Quaker Grubbs, who helped found Lindsey’s Little Miracles to benefit other sick children.
The organization held a fundraiser Saturday at Broadway at the Beach. “There’s so little research on this cancer. No studies are being done in the U.S. It only affects about 100 children a year — and we’re talking worldwide.”
While Lindsey underwent 18 weeks of intense chemotherapy treatment, liver resection and gall bladder removal, her family learned to take one day at a time and count their miracles the same way. One at a time.
“I think fear is the biggest enemy. We cried. We said ‘Why us?’ We said ‘How could God let this happen to a baby?’ We went through all the normal emotions. But what can you do other than submit?” Grubbs said. “I could hear God telling me not to fear. To journey through this … I don’t normally have that type of strength. I know it was God giving it to me.”
Lindsey Claire Grubbs — aka LuLu Bug — turned 2 on Feb. 13. She calls the deep scars on her torso her “cancer boo boos.” But her blonde curls are back. She’s chubby, happy and currently shows no evidence of disease. And her miracles are already being shared.
Lindsey’s miraclesSaturday’s second annual Lindsey’s Little Miracles 5K Walk/Run and Family Fun Festival raised $78,000 through community support and corporate sponsorships to support the Make-a-Wish Foundation of South Carolina and Johnathan’s Journey, which provides professional portraits to families of terminally ill children.
“I came up with this grand idea that we wanted to extend Lindsey’s Little Miracles to other children in our area,” said Grubbs, who credits a team of close friends — Tracy Dugan, Paula Findley, Tanya MacDonald, Andrea Minter and Laura Hildenbrandt — with making it happen. “This is our second year. Last year, we raised over $123,000.”
Grubbs says 11 local children had their wishes granted so far this year. There was a Walt Disney World Cruise, a couple of shopping sprees and a trip to the Oscars for one little girl. The average wish costs $5,500.
Minter, the race coordinator, said she never thought the fundraiser would get so big. “We all had different ideas. Quaker decided on Make-a-Wish.”
Although Lindsey’s medical bills topped $300,000 within six months, Grubbs had good insurance and plenty of family support with her older children, Kiersten, now 7, and Nathan, now 5. Transportation to Durham, N.C., and expenses ran about $2,000 a month. But all the money raised goes to other families, she said.
“I can tell you a single parent of a child with cancer can’t stop working because of insurance,” she said.
“You see children going through chemo by themselves. We would see families sleeping in the lobby of the hospital. Ronald McDonald House is usually full about three months ahead.”
Lindsey will be rechecked every three months while her dad, Wes Grubbs, and mom hold their breath, hoping to count a few more miracles.
“I called myself a ‘shy’ Christian,” Quaker Grubbs said. “You cannot receive this many blessings and remain silent.”
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How to help www.johnathans journey.org lindseygrubbs. com sc.wish.org/
Contact JAN A. IGOE at jigoe@thesunnews.com or 626-0366.
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