Bryana's Besties

“My heart dropped.”

These are the words Ashley Wagner uses to describe the moment she learned her youngest child had a life-changing, life-threatening illness.

Ashley was caring for her 91-year-old grandmother at home in Bauxite when her 15-month-old daughter Bryana began to cry. No matter what Ashley tried, she couldn't soothe her baby.

The worried mom knew something was wrong. She put her daughter into the car and headed for the Emergency Department (ED) at Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH).

The Unthinkable Happens

At first, the ED doctor thought there might be a problem with Bryana's intestines. He decided to do an ultrasound to be sure. The test results showed the unthinkable … A large tumor growing in the little girl's stomach.

"I didn't know what to think," says Ashley. "It was a nightmare. I thought, This just can't be real. It felt real and unreal at the same time."

Bryana was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that usually affects children under the age of 5. It can spread to the lymph nodes, liver, bones, bone marrow and other organs.

Without treatment, Bryana’s future would be uncertain.

Not Out of the Woods

Two years of needle sticks, port accesses, chemotherapy treatments, scans and surgeries - including an operation to remove the tumor - followed. This sassy, feisty little girl has gone through more in the last two years than many have in their entire lives.

And she’s not out of the woods yet.

Turns out, the tumor damaged Bryana's sciatic nerve, and she suffers from drop foot, where she's not able to lift the front part of her right foot. She's undergoing physical therapy at ACH a couple of times a week and will likely have to wear a brace for the rest of her life.

There is also a chance the cancer will return.