Newsletter Articles

Team Courtney’s Angels is a new Friends of Heroes Affiliate Team this year and is captained by the mother-daughter team of Debbie and Ashley. They formed the team in memory of their daughter and sister Courtney. This month, Debbie has graciously taken time to share about her daughter’s battle and how Courtney faced life and “lived strong”.

Can you tell us a little bit about your daughter Courtney?
I know that everyone thinks that their child is amazing, and that is exactly how I think of Courtney. As a young child, Courtney was definitely a Mama’s girl, never wanting to be far from my side. She was the youngest of three children, the baby of the family. But, during her first bout with cancer at 13, she matured and grew into a strong, compassionate young girl. She had a zest for life and was a friend to everyone she met.

Court was a cheerleader all throughout her high school years. She loved to dance and be goofy. She was a girly-girl to the max, she loved rhinestones and blinged out everything she owned – but she also had a cowgirl side that loved fast horses and big trucks.

Courtney was a 6-foot tall, stunningly beautiful young woman with big dreams. She had the most incredible spirit and was never one for self-pity – never once asking “why me?” Courtney is the strongest person I know, she is my hero, my angel.

Can you share about Courtney’s diagnosis and her treatment?
Courtney was originally diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in September 2000 at the age of 13. It was just a few weeks after she began her freshman year in high school and our lives took a drastic change. We found ourselves thrust full force in the world of childhood cancer and hospital life.

Court went through 10 months of intense chemotherapy, followed by 2 ½ years of maintenance chemo. In December 2005 we excitedly celebrated her being “cured” – she had been in remission for 5 years and we thought she had won the battle.

So, needless to say we were stunned when just a few months later in May 2006, we learned that she had relapsed. The doctors first told us that they would be treating her with basically the same protocol, but they suggested that we have the family tested to see if any of us were a potential bone marrow match.

When we learned that Courtney’s older brother, Gabriel, was a perfect match, we felt that it was the answer to many prayers. The doctor’s left the final decision up to Court, but encouraged her to consider the transplant.

The treatment was much more difficult the second time around and Courtney experienced many complications. She developed a severe case of Tiflitis after her first chemotherapy treatment which resulted in a 36 day hospital stay during which she was not able to eat or drink anything by mouth in order to allow her stomach to heal.

The weeks following her transplant were really difficult, with more complications – she suffered a blood clot to her lung. But things finally began to turn for the better. We were just a few days away from being discharged from the hospital when Courtney suddenly developed a horrible infection, flesh-eating bacteria.

In a matter of a few hours, things took a drastic change. The doctors tried to save her by removing her leg, but the infection was too much for her compromised immune system and Courtney passed away just 1 week before her 20th birthday.

No words could ever express our sympathy for the loss of your daughter. Unfortunately, learning of stories such as the journey of your precious daughter is a prime example why events such as Light the Night are so important, to help aid in the funding for research. The monetary value of research is priceless when advancements in treatments can be offered to help save the lives of these children.

What are some of the lessons Courtney has taught you through her journey that you apply to your lives today?

As she fought her first battle, I saw that it was changing her and molding her into the person she would live to be – enjoying life to the fullest, laughing her infectious laugh, and touching people’s lives in such a special way. Courtney loved people and was so accepting of everyone. She made everyone she met feel like they were a true friend.

Just days after Courtney died; I received an email from a girl that Courtney knew. This girl was not very nice to Court in high school, but had been communicating with her over the Internet for a few weeks before Court passed away. She was having some minor medical problems of her own. Following is part of that email:

“I just wanted to let you know what an inspiration Court has been to me. I don’t know whether she was a gift sent to me from God, or just plain good luck, but she was my backbone, and my inspiration for the last few months. For her to be in so much more pain, and so much more traumatic problems than me, she was the stronger person, writing me emails telling me I would be okay, and everything would end up good. She told me that no one’s problems should be compared or measured… most importantly – she told me how God only gives people like us these kinds of situations because we are the strongest… and we are the ones who can go through it.”

That was the kind of person my daughter was, more concerned for others than she was for herself. Her story has touched the lives of people around the world, including some very famous people.

Because of a meeting that he had with Courtney, Derek Lowe (Dodger pitcher) has started D. Lowe’s Heroes, helping the kids being treated at Mattel’s Children’s Hospital at UCLA. Courtney’s wanted to become a Pediatric Hem/Onc nurse. She wanted to make hospital life better for the kids at UCLA and I will spend the rest of my life making her dream become a reality. We are in the process of starting a foundation “Courtney’s Angels” to support the fight for a cure.

Courtney left a beautiful imprint in the world with her selfless example. One that isn’t forgotten with her death.

Have you been involved with Light The Night in the past?
I had actually planned on participating last year, but Courtney was scheduled to be admitted to the hospital for her transplant the day of the walk. So, this year was the first time I had been to a Light the Night walk. What an incredible experience.

I was also able to experience a TNT marathon for the first time. Last December, Courtney’s brother Gabriel (her donor) ran the Honolulu marathon in honor of his sister and I was lucky enough to be able to meet him at the finish line. It was just 3 weeks after Courtney passed away.

What made you decide to become a part of FOH as an affiliate?
It’s kind of funny, but I was on MySpace and saw a bulletin from FOH. I went to the site and decided right then that I would try to contact you to become an affiliate. I wanted the money that Team Courtney’s Angels raised to have the biggest impact it could.

Well, just minutes later, I went on the website that I had set up to keep family and friends informed of Courtney’s progress (freewebs.com/courtneynicole) and there was a message from FOH in my guest book. I knew then that it was meant to be – Courtney was somehow telling me that I needed to join FOH.

Thank you for letting us honor Courtney as one of our team heroes. We are so glad you are part of FOH!

Please share a little bit about the planning leading up to the walk. What were your plans for your team fundraising this year?
Most of the fundraising was done online. Ashley, Court‘s older sister, posted a lot of bulletins on MySpace and I used the website that I had set up to keep family informed about Courtney’s. We didn’t know what to expect since this was our first year being involved. We set a team goal of $2,000 and were pleasantly surprised that we were able to surpass that goal. Next year we have plans to do more fundraising and will get started a little earlier.

Now for the evening of the walk itself…

How many team members did you have on the team Courtney’s Angels this year? Please share a brief description about your walk and how it went.

Team Courtney’s Angels walked in September. We had 38 walkers and our team raised $3,332.

The walk was incredible. It was very emotional – it was exactly one year from the date that Courtney was admitted for transplant, and the walk took place on the campus at UCLA (she was treated at the hospital at UCLA).

One of our walkers was a teenage girl who had been transplanted just a few weeks before Courtney and is doing well. Ashley and I proudly carried a “gold” balloon in honor of Court. I can’t wait for next year!

Is there anything else you would like to add?
November 14th will be the one-year anniversary of Courtney’s death – November 21st would be Courtney’s 21st birthday!

No family should have to endure the year that our family has endured, no family should have to watch someone they love suffer the way Courtney and other kids with cancer suffer, and no parent should have to bury their child.

I will do everything that I can to spread the word about FOH. I will do everything that I can to raise money to find a cure for a disease that is robbing families of their children and robbing children of their childhood.

Thank you, Debbie, for sharing Courtney’s story with us!

Courtney was an amazing fighter, helping others even when she was going through difficult treatment herself and making a positive difference to all she touched, in life and even after her death.

With the approach of Courtney’s birthday and the one-year anniversary of her heavenly birthday, we remember you and your family in our thoughts and prayers.

For more information, visit http://www.friendsofheroes.org or contact teamleaders@friendsofheroes.org