Two-year-old McKenna Shea Xydias recently found out she is cancer-free. Earlier this year, the toddler was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer and had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. However, her family just received the heart-warming news that McKenna is in remission.
McKenna’s parents Michael and Megan Xydias. The couple became alarmed one day when they discovered swelling in their daughter’s abdomen according to Good Morning America. A trip to the family’s physician calmed their worries and they were told their daughter probably just had some gas.
A call from the school nurse a short time later reignited the couple’s fears. McKenna had a 103-degree fever and her abdomen was more swollen than ever. But another trip to the doctor resulted in a similar diagnosis. The couple was told their daughter suffered from gas bloating.
Michael and Megan were not satisfied with this diagnosis. The couple took their daughter to the hospital where a CT and MRI scan found that McKenna had tumors around one of her ovaries, near her liver and others scattered throughout her abdomen.
The type of Ovarian cancer McKenna suffers from is extremely rare. Fortunately, the symptoms revealed the disease early enough to give doctors adequate options to treat the disease. An operation was performed on the two-year-old to remove the growth and the process was completed without complications. She then began four rounds of chemotherapy before she was declared cancer-free!
“The support has been absolutely amazing. It really helped lift our spirits,” McKenna’s father told GMA. “[Kenni] was shy and reserved before all this. With all the poking and prodding and meeting new people, she’s really come out of her shell.” McKenna’s mother also shared some advice about listening to your parental intuition.
“There’s the medical aspect of ‘trust your gut when it comes to your or your child’s health’ and there’s the life aspect of, ‘enjoy every minute,'” she said to GMA.
What did you think about brave little McKenna’s fight against cancer? Pass this article to friends and family to spread both inspiration and awareness for people struggling with this horrible disease.
