A little girl’s courage

Writer Natalie Lee is pictured (at right) at age 8 with her sister, Nicole, at age 6, on Nicole’s Make-A-Wish trip to Honolulu.

When I was 7, my 5-year-old sister, Nicole, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a tumor of the brainstem.

Nicole, who made friends easily, was equal parts sugar and spice. When we found abandoned kittens, she fed and played with them every day. Along with a sweet personality, Nicole had an arsenal of quick-witted jokes, beat our father and grandfather repeatedly in Connect Four (no easy feat), and had a stubborn streak a mile wide. When we skied during winter break, Nicole kept pace with me. Her bright pink jacket was always in the edge of my vision.

She was more adventurous than I was. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation asked her what she wanted, she immediately said she wanted to kiss a dolphin. I remember being afraid of their slick, torpedo-shaped bodies. But Nicole patted their slippery backs and kissed their snouts.

Eventually, the cancer took its toll. She had terrible headaches and double vision. It was hard for her to control her facial muscles, and eventually, her legs and arms. Little is known about why DIPG occurs. There is no cure.

Nicole’s optimism stayed constant through the worst times. Her faith inspired those around her. In fact, her faith grew. Every day she would pray for a little brother, knowing God would one day answer her prayers. Nicole died on Sept. 2, 2009, after 19 months of courage.

Curing DIPG could unlock effective treatment for all cancers. Nicole’s tissue was donated for research and hopefully will take us one step closer to finding a cure.

Cancer did not define Nicole. She was an artist and a friend. I know she would have been a wonderful sister to our brother, Nathan, who was born three years after she passed. She inspired me to write this article and talk about something I normally wouldn’t have the courage to do. To learn more about DIPG, visit www.thecurestartsnow.org.

Editor’s Note: This fall, Natalie will be a Memorial High School correspondent for our School Buzz blog.

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