I have been blessed to attend two pediatric cancer symposiums- one about Wilms' Tumor specifically, one on Childhood Cancer Survivorship issues, and most recently The International Pediatric Renal Tumor Conference. This is a week long event in DC for doctors, scientists, and researchers from all over the world. This year hey decided to try something new and invited renal tumor cancer families to attend free of charge. The Pablove Foundation graciously covered our accommodations. Thank you!!
The kids and I were so excited to be back "home" in DC. We miss the years of Mimi and Grandpa living downtown at the Navy Yard and 8th&I. DC was the kids' "backyard" for many fun-filled years. As soon as we dropped our bags in our hotel room, we jumped on the elevator to the Metro stop below and were off!
This was going to be a whirlwind overnight trip, so we only had one afternoon to be tourists. We decided to enjoy the gorgeous weather and hit the National Zoo.
I remember a time when they got lost in these letters, now they fill up the whole space...
We had a blast visiting the pandas, monkeys, the new elephant house, gorillas, zebras, wolves, seals, orangutans, farm animals, lions, and giraffes. The animals were all particularly active and we took our time to really soak it all in. They have also added a gorgeous carousel of all endangered animals- wow!
While popping into 7-11 for slurpees, a VA staple, we decided to make the most of our time and eat dinner there, too. At 7-11. It can be done! We actually ate granola bars, pretzels, cantaloupe, apples, grapes, yogurt, and nuts for $11! Pretty impressive for 3 people in DC. And we could eat it while walking, which left us plenty of time to hit the pool. Our hotel had a rooftop pool on the 12th floor...
The next morning it was time for the conference bright and early. Pablove so graciously provides kids camp for our kiddos so we can attend the meetings. So much fun for them, but also a unique opportunity for them to bond with other Wilms' kids and their siblings.
It was so good to reconnect with families from our Wilms group. We are all closely involved in each others journeys and have had the privilege of meeting in person several times. Unfortunately our social time was cut short as our day was filled with information until our brains were overflowing. This one inch notebook is just the abstracts of the presentations. They are all very scientific as these international researchers present their studies and findings. The crazy part is how many of us can hang in these conversations because of the years we have spent in the Wilms' world as "momcologists". The results were a mix of encouragement and struggle. We excitedly listened to new discoveries and biologic processes identified, but in the same breath heard about dead ends, funding lost, grants unavailable, and drugs out of production. It is a double-edged sword.
In the afternoon after finishing up all the research, the focus shifted to practical issues of pediatric cancer treatment. For the first time, we had COG doctor's (the US collaborative group), SIOP docs (the European arm), researchers, pathology lab specialists, and cancer parents all in one place. I have always respected the way this process is handled. The doctors, nurses, and researchers we have met have been so open, honest, and helpful wanting to address our individual concerns. This day was no different. We discussed treatment plans, relapse, diagnosis conversations, clinical trials, and ethics.
And in a shocking twist, they turned the mics on us and said they wanted to ask questions, too. As the medical professionals in this field they participate in many discussions about ethical issues for families, funding dilemmas, and treatment decisions. As much knowledge and experience as they have, none of them have children in the battle and they wanted to hear from us. It was a humbling moment. We were asked questions like... Where should we focus our research reducing toxicity or reducing relapse? Do you feel you have enough information when asked to sign clinical trial consent? Since our children's donated tumor tissue is available to researchers in any field, should we be told when they identify genetic code for future disease? should our children be told? SO much to digest.
After saying our goodbyes to friends- new and old, I wanted to get a picture of Julia. On the left is Megan, from the Pablove Foundation. She works so hard to help make all these amazing events possible and connecting with the families personally. On the right is Dr. Dome. This man is considered the Wilms guru in the US. He was the chair of the NTWTS-5 study for Wilms' treatments. It was that study that determined children with Stage 1 anaplastic tumors had very poor outcomes after treatment- half were relapsing. That study concluded they would completely change their approach and add higher dose chemo and radiation in an attempt to change those odds. Julia's treatment plan was written from that study. We are so thankful for the work of his team.
Thank you Pablove and Children's National Medical Center!
Julia's favorite class was tap and that was there recital dance for this year. They performed to "I Am a Promise".
So proud of all the dancers this year. It was an amazing celebration year remembering God's faithfulness and provisions to Arts Evangelica over the past 20 years. In that time hundreds of girls and boys have learned to dance for the glory of God and have disciplined and trained themselves to perform at their best. They have also participated in discipleship and service activities to grow their personal faith and to share the gospel in our community and 22 countries. The calling that God gave to Lisa Kidd (that's her singing behind the butterflies) 20 years ago has grown into a ministry no one ever imagined.
The company dancers put on a ballet each year. This year was Swan Lake. A few weeks after the recital we had the privilege of attending the ballet put on by the dance company.
Here they are warming up...
It was a fabulous way to end a great year. Thank you Arts Evangelica for all you do for your dancers, families, and the world. We are so excited to see what God has in store! 
