When Edie Gilger of Virginia was just 5 months old, she started experiencing a severe upset stomach and trouble sleeping. 

In their gut, Edie’s parents knew this wasn’t just another trial and tribulation of having an infant and a series of tests confirmed their instinct – in December of 2009, Edie was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma.  Despite an aggressive treatment plan including multiple rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries, Edie’s cancer persisted.

It was determined that Edie was an eligible candidate for a clinical trial for children harboring a specific cancer causing gene, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).  The trial was testing the effectiveness of a drug crizotinib that was already being used to treat lung cancer in adults and specifically looks to disrupt this gene.  

Edie is now 10 years old. Instead of spending her days in the hospital, Edie is starting fourth grade and loves dancing, playing basketball, tennis, golf, swimming, and spending time with her friends. Edie does not have lingering side effects from her treatment.

Updated April 2019

VIDEO: One small step in the fight against childhood cancer.