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Suffering becomes cause for hope
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Born on April 1, 2008, Stefani Felber showed no signs of illness until she turned 4 months old. After months of doctor visits, Stefani, now 18 months old, was diagnosed with brain cancer in February.
Stefani's mother, Shannon Felber of Nesconset, said doctors were unable to remove the tumor on her daughter's brain stem and fourth ventricle. With the help of a family member, Shannon Felber said she was able to reach out to the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the treatment and quality of life for children with brain and spinal cord tumors.
To further assist the foundation's efforts in research and advocacy, the Nesconset family has decided to donate to CBTF all proceeds from the third annual Halloween family bingo night at the Ivy League School in Smithtown. Each year, a local family with a child suffering from a life-threatening illness is selected to choose a cause to which proceeds will be donated, according to Felber. As the chosen family of this year's event, which took place on Wednesday, the Felbers have decided to support the organization that continues to support them.
When Stefani was first diagnosed with brain cancer, Felber said, CBTF helped educate and prepare her two other children for what their younger sister was going through. Arianna, 5, and Benjamin, 3, learned about the process of diagnosis and surgery from the perspective of a little bear named Parker in a child-friendly story titled "Parker's Brain Storm," Felber said. "It's hard to explain to your kids this could happen," she added.
Following the unsuccessful surgery to remove the tumor, Stefani began receiving chemotherapy and will be in treatment until April, her mother said. While the "size of the tumor was that of a 12-year-old" in February, Felber said it has shrunk 65 percent thanks to the latest mainstream scientific advances as well as alternative and holistic medicine.
"She really has age on her side," Felber said of her youngest child. "Everything we do alternatively is definitely helping her."
While the toddler is unable to crawl, she "scoots on her tush to get around," her mother said, adding that she hopes Stefani will learn how to walk by age 2. Pointing to her daughter's full head of hair, Felber added, "Other than the fact that she's skinny, you just wouldn't know that she's sick."
Felber, a lifelong Nesconset resident who attended the Ivy League School as a child, said the Smithtown school is "very near and dear to my heart." "Everything they do, it just means family," she said. "They're just so giving and so wonderful." The summer after Stefani's diagnosis, both of her siblings attended camp at the school, Felber said, adding, "For my children to have an outlet in the summer while we were going through treatment, it was just amazing."
To help support her younger sister, Arianna has been making and selling bracelets on her Facebook page titled "Arianna's Treasures," according to her mother. Those who wish to contribute to the family's cause can visit www.facebook.com and search for Arianna's page to purchase a bracelet, or visit www.cbtf.org to make a donation.
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