Virginia Latimer Clark

2-12-1993 to 3-13-2002

Virginia was born in Chandler Arizona to the loud exclamation 'It's a girl', by her dad, David Clark. She was welcomed by her mom, Nancy and her brother Robert. She developed normally and was a typical little girl, bright, energetic and smart.

In February of 1995 at age two she began having fevers with severe abdominal pain. The fevers would last a few days and then end for a week or two. After many efforts to diagnose her condition an ultrasound showed a large abdominal tumor. A subsequent bone marrow test showed she had cancer in her bone marrow also. She was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, Stage IV and given a poor prognosis.

That Summer and Fall she underwent monthly chemotherapy, tumor removal, radiation and more chemo. (In September she was joined by a new brother Andrew.) In January 1996 tests showed that her bone marrow still had cancer cells so she had more chemo and a bone marrow transplant. After almost two months in the hospital Virginia was released cancer free and she never looked back, her only side affect was severe high frequency hearing loss in both ears due to one of the chemotherapy drugs. Fortunately Virginia was a natural lip reader and was fitted for hearing aides without a problem.

Virginia lived life to its fullest. She loved to swim, play dolls, play school and all the other things little girls love to do. Unfortunately, in August 1999, just before she started first grade she relapsed with a tumor behind her nose and eyes. She lost vision in her right eye, but again she adjusted well. She had more chemotherapy and spent the next few years in various treatments to deal with relapses and try to prevent it from coming back. She missed much of 1st grade, made it to most of 2nd grade and missed most of 3rd grade.

Virginia always looked at the bright side. If she had to spend the day at the hospital instead of going to the science center she thought of it as a day in bed, watching tv with people waiting on her. When we traveled to NYC and San Francisco for treatments she thought it was an adventure. If she wondered why 'God chose' her, she would quickly say that being sick gave her lots of opportunities to do fun things that other kids didn't get to do.

In between hospital visits and treatments, she was a Brownie Girl Scout and loved to camp, sometimes two or three times a summer. She was a JR football cheerleader and LOVED to cheer. She loved school and third grade. She loved crafts and project and readings. She was very artistic. She was a happy carefree little girl who happened to have cancer.

After an extensive treatment in December her bone marrow was not able to recover and Virginia died on March 13, 2002 a month after her 9th birthday.

She never got to ride the Thunderbolt at Kennywood, she never grew tall enough. he never got to grow her hair long, chemo always made it fall out again.

Virginia never got to be a flower girl in a wedding.

She never got to go to the prom.

She never got to ...

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