Our 11 year old daughter Chase Savanna Burch was born in September of 1996. She was an amazing little girl from the very beginning, not just healthy, but so full of life. She did everything so much earlier than we expected her to and always seemed to have a wisdom far beyond her years, in fact so much so that even as a tiny baby, complete strangers would look at her and tell us that she was an "Old Soul." She stood holding on to something when she was just 4 1/2 months old, began walking at just 7 months and by 8 months she was running. From that point on, it seemed that we have all just been trying to keep up.

On March 2, 2007 we took our perfectly healthy little girl in to the pediatrician, to treat her for what everyone thought was the flu, and by that night she was rushed in an ambulance to our local children's hospital. Chase had been complaining of headaches for a few weeks off and on and had been sick to her stomach, but just a few times. However, on that day, she had gotten quite sick, so we finally took her in to the pediatrician. After evaluating her, he told us she most likely just had the flu. He then said that he would like us to journal the headaches though for a few weeks and he would have us come back. But he would call us that night, to check on her, at 6pm.

In between our visit and him calling, Jared gave Chase a beautiful blessing that said that the Doctors would be inspired as to know what to do. So when our Pediatrician called back he started saying that she sounded like she was fine. But when I said, she's not complaining about her stomach Doctor, it's all about her head. He stopped and thought about it and then said, "let's get her to the E.R. then, for a CAT scan."

So we went to our local Hospital and the Doctor's there did all the standard tests. She had no problems with any of them and was laughing and joking with them, the entire time. They told us, "this little girl is obviously fine." He then started to convince us that she really didn't need the scan and that she might just be having cluster headaches, so he was going to just give her a shot and send her home. But just as the doctor was telling me this, (and starting to write her release form,) he seemed to stop mid-sentence, pause for a long time and then said, "you know what, let's order that Scan."

They reassured us that it wasn't necessary, just precautionary and then sent us in. After the Cat-scan, I called Jared and said I'm sure that we would be leaving soon. Then the Doctor came back, he shut the curtain and looked up to the sky and said, "Thank you Lord, for having me do that Scan." I just looked at him in total surprise, as he knelt in front of me and told us that Chase has a mass in her brain and that it was causing swelling so they were going to have to rush us to Children's Hospital." He then asked us if he could say a prayer with us and held mine and Chase's hand and then gave a beautiful prayer, that said that Chase still has so much to contribute to this world and asked that she would be watched over." This was such a comfort to me at a time of total shock and devastation.

I explained to Chase that she was right, there was something pushing on her brain and it was causing the headaches and that we were going to get it out, so that she would get better. Our good friends, dropped everything and rushed over to get our seven year old Jonah and two year old, Brooklyn. Chase and I were whisked off in an ambulance and my husband rushed home to pack a bag and follow us there. After 48 hours of distress and an 8 hour surgery, we were then told that our beautiful little girl had a cancerous brain tumor, called Medulloblastoma.

After hearing her diagnosis, we decided that whatever it takes, we would find the best place in the world for her to go to be treated. Luckily the best place for her was the incredible, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. So for almost eight full months, our family has lived separately. Half of us living in Tennessee and the other half in California. When you walk through the doors of that amazing hospital, you are truly surrounded by the most amazing support and love that you could ever find, and especially after meeting with some of the top doctors in the world, that would be there for us to treat our daughter, we were ceratin that there was no place in the world that we would rather be!

Of course, this last year has been one of the most emotional rollercoasters that a family could be on. However, we are SURE that her doctor's have been INSPIRED and we have been led every step of the way. In fact our pediatrician called us the morning after Chase was diagnosed, to say, "We like to think that as doctors we are in control, but this one has shown me again that it is God." Finding St. Jude was the most incredible of all of these blessings, to which we were led.

Chase has now gone through 6 weeks of radiation, four months of Chemotherapy and multiple stem cell transplants (from her own cells.) She has shown more grace under fire than I thought possible from a 10 & 11 year old little girl. When her classmates found out that she was going to lose her hair, they wanted to do a fundraiser for a nice wig for her. When she heard about this, she said that she thought that since we had already ordered her a wig, she knew that others around her needed it more than she did. So instead, she came up with "Hats-N-Hair from Kids who Care!" A project that with the help of our community, has now helped to give out over 100 hats and hair, to kids in need of them. In fact if you know of child that could benefit from a Hat-N-Hair, then please email her at fromkidswhocare@yahoo.com and she would love to send them one for FREE.

When asked about what her favorite thing that has happened to her was this year, (since she has had many wonderful experiences, including meeting lots of celebrities,) she said, "It has definitely been "Hats-N-Hair." She is now past her treatments and by all accounts "Cancer Free!" She is doing extremely well, gaining more strength everyday and back to being a 6th grader and enjoying all of her friends. We pray everyday that will only continue.

Throughout this year, she has been such an inspiration to us and to so many others. She has truly earned her title that so many have dubbed her: Chase Savanna Burch: A.K.A. SUPERGIRL!!!