MADISON ARNDT, a 2-year-old Brunswick resident, was diagnosed with Stage III high-risk neuroblastoma in July.

MADISON ARNDT, a 2-year-old Brunswick resident, was diagnosed with Stage III high-risk neuroblastoma in July.

PORTLAND

Mad Love: A Golden Night for Madison’s Future will be held at Cellardoor Winery at The Point in Portland on Saturday March 11, from 7-10 p.m.

Madison Mitchell was diagnosed in July 2016 with Stage III, high-risk Neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that arises in undeveloped nerve cells and tissues.

Madison has completed six rounds of chemotherapy. She had a nine and a half hour operation on Nov. 23, 2016 where surgeons removed an orange-sized tumor from her abdomen as well as a smaller spot near her diaphragm.

On Jan. 10, she was admitted to Boston’s Children’s Hospital for an autologous stem cell transplant. She had four days of continuous chemotherapy that took a heavy toll on her body, according to a press release.

She received her healthy stem cells back on Jan. 18. During the transplant she experienced extreme nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, low heart rates, and sores from her mouth to her colon, in addition to other side effects.

She is currently building up her immune system.

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Madison will soon have 12 days of sedated radiation, which brings on a whole new list of side effects. The last part of her treatment is antibody therapy/treatment.

This phase of treatment is six months long and will require frequent hospital stays.

According to a statement from Ashley Arndt, Madison’s mother: “Childhood cancer is sadly common. Madison’s friends have become other little girls and boys who are also riding their tricycles through hallway and not in the park. Childhood cancer is extremely underfunded. The National Cancer Institute only allocates 4 percent of its annual budget on children’s cancer research.

“Madison has her good days and she has her bad days. Some days she plays with her toys and talks about going swimming and camping once her ‘boo-boo’(her central line) is gone. Other days she doesn’t leave bed and has a bucket by her at all times. No parent ever wants to imagine having to put his or her child through this pure torture. Nothing about this makes any sense and it never will, but thanks to our amazing family, friends and community we are so hopeful that Madison will successfully kick cancer’s butt and it will NEVER return.”

Tickets for Mad Love are $80/per person and will feature a Red Carpet, an Open Bar of award winning wines and beer, hors d’oeuvres, and live music from local performers. Purchase tickets online at: https://madlove.eventbrite.com/ or by contacting Collin Spillane at collin.spillane@gmail.com for limited edition hard copy tickets. Gold (Children’s cancer awareness color) and Semi-formal dress attire is encouraged. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Madison Arndt’s medical bills.


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