When Olivia, then age 7, and her parents arrived at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for the first time in May 2023, they were a family in shock.
Only days before, the Pompano Beach first grader had been living the life of an avid gymnast, practicing balance beam, floor exercises and more up to six hours per day.
Her parents, Colleen and Matt, had been working with Olivia’s doctor to explore the source of the active child’s episodic leg pain, when an MRI revealed what appeared to be a cancerous growth in her left femur bone.
“I had completely forgotten about the MRI,” recalls Colleen, a busy mother of two. “I wasn’t expecting anything earth shattering. Maybe a small injury to a bone. So, when the doctor called with the results, we were in shock.”
Within just days, Olivia was in the care of two Nicklaus Children’s clinicians, Dr. Maggie Fader, a hematologist oncologist with the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, and Dr. H. Thomas Temple, an orthopedic surgeon with surgical privileges at the hospital. The diagnosis: Osteosarcoma of the femur.
Drs. Fader and Temple worked collaboratively on a care plan that included chemotherapy, and surgery to remove portions of the cancerous femur, replacing it with a special magnetic titanium femur prosthesis. The internal prosthesis is adjusted incrementally to grow along with Olivia, eliminating the need for frequent surgeries.
After seven months of combined inpatient and outpatient treatment, Olivia and family were able to ring the bell in the hospital’s cancer care unit, signifying the end of treatment. The entire family was home together in time for Christmas.
“We are so grateful for everyone at Nicklaus Children’s. We couldn’t have been in better hands and are so grateful that we could stay here in Florida for the care we needed,” said Colleen. Drs. Fader and Temple were amazing and the entire care team, including nurses and Child Life specialists were there to lift us up and move us forward during those first daunting days.”
Today, Olivia is learning to play the guitar and pursuing singing and songwriting, after falling in love with music, during music therapy sessions at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
Olivia’s new dream for the future? She now has her sights set on becoming a Nicklaus Children’s doctor or nurse, so she can help other children recover from illness.
Her Nicklaus Children’s care team couldn’t be prouder.
