Meaghan's Story

In April of 2006, Janice and Jim Herrity's 14-year-old daughter, Meaghan, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Glioblastomia Multiforme. Meaghan was a typical 14-year-old girl that had just entered her freshman year in high school. She was an active teen and filled her days with friends, sports, and school activities. When she began to complain of pain in her neck and lower back, her parents brushed it off and suggested that she "drop the drama." Her complaints continued over the next few days, and her parents took her to the emergency room to be checked out. The examination doctor could find nothing abnormal and suggested Meaghan probably had a pinched nerve. Pain medication was prescribed, and he suggested they contact her primary care physician if the pain continued. Over the next few days, the pain did continue, and the Herrity's concern escalated to the point that they called 911. Once again, X-rays showed nothing. This time, an MRI was ordered to insure there was no neurological reason for her symptoms. The MRI showed a tumor inside Meaghan's spinal cord, and the decision was made to transfer her to the ICU at CHKD in Norfolk, Virginia. There began the fight of Meaghan's life. Meaghan's Story tells of the bi-polar world a parent experiences when their child has terminal cancer - a world of hope and a world of reality. From the very beginning, Meaghan wanted to use her experience to help others navigate through this horrific illness. Meaghan and her mother planned to write this book together. In her final days, Meaghan made her mother promise to finish what they together had started. Meaghan's Story takes you on a two-year journey through the eyes of both parent and child. More than anything, Meaghan wanted to be more than a statistic. Buckle up, and prepare to learn of the unbelievable courage and love this young woman possessed and gave to her family and friends.