VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Ten-year-old Abby Furco has been named one of five St. Baldrick’s Foundation 2017 Ambassadors.
Abby Furco, 10, will be one of five St. Baldrick’s Foundation 2017 Ambassadors (Photo: St. Baldrick’s Foundation)
Abby was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011.
After 32 months of chemotherapy, Abby was cancer free. But after just one year, the cancer came back.
When Abby became cancer free the second time, she learned she had developed a severe disease from a bone marrow transplant, causing her kidneys to fail.
Doctors did not expect her to survive for more than 48 hours, but she beat the odds and recovered. Since then, she has returned to school, walked down the aisle as a flower girl this summer and visited Italy with her family.
“Despite a long and difficult journey with childhood cancer, she’s maintained her fun-loving attitude and tenacious spirit. Now, she’s using her experience to help others,” a spokesperson for the St. Badrick’s Foundation said.
Now, she and her family are determined to help find better cures for Abby and kids like her.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants. It is best known for its events where volunteers shave their head to raise money for childhood cancer.
As an ambassador, Abby and her family will attend local St. Baldrick’s fundraising events, participate in interviews and share their journey with St. Baldrick’s supporters and their local community.
