Sweet parents organized an early princess-themed birthday party for 3-year-old battling cancer
A little girl who was diagnosed with terminal cancer celebrated her fourth birthday early with a princess-themed party. In the summer of 2022, 3-year-old Adalyn McGuire of Brentwood, Tennessee, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive brain tumor that is not easily treated outside of radiation and experimental chemotherapy, according to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, reported TODAY.
The survival rate for DIPG is "very low," with "no cure for this tumor" available, according to St. Jude Children's Hospital. With Adalyn's 4th birthday on March 31, her parents Stephanie and Andrew wanted to give her a party that would make her feel special. "We aren't sure if she will make it to her fourth birthday so we thought, let's have an early party," Stephanie told TODAY. They linked up with Tanya Sturm and Dreams and Wishes of Tennessee, which helped throw Adalyn a party fit for a princess.
Sturm, who founded Dreams and Wishes, told PEOPLE that the "super small organization" gives children and their families "something to look forward to" while they work through a cancer diagnosis. "We want to provide these children and their families with a lasting memory of hope and joy," Sturm said, adding, "We are 100% dependent on donations to grant wishes. We do not receive any government funding."
Adalyn's Disney princess-packed party took place on January 7, with some of her favorite characters appearing, including Princesses Elsa and Anna and Olaf the Snowman from the Disney animated film Frozen. "At first, Adalyn felt overwhelmed," Stephanie said, "but when she saw Olaf, she opened her arms and said, 'He needs a warm hug.' "
Adalyn's parents, Stephanie and Andrew McGuire, first noticed symptoms after her third birthday in March 2022. "Adalyn started complaining about fleeting head pain and stumbling a lot and one morning, she couldn't stand up," Stephanie told TODAY and added that Adalyn could not move her right eye. Adalyn's parents then took her to a local hospital, where they were referred to Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville. A neuro-oncologist diagnosed Adalyn with cancer several weeks before Stephanie delivered her third daughter, Analyn, on July 30, 2022. "At the time, I was really numb and couldn't understand what they told me," Stephanie added. "My brain couldn't comprehend how bad this was."
Adalyn was in the intensive care unit for three days and took 30 rounds of radiation almost every day for six weeks, each time with general anesthesia. "She lost a bit of hair but it didn't bother her," Stephanie said. "She still wore her 'Princess Elsa' braids." Adalyn's treatment ended in August, and without other options, the family wanted to make each moment count. Then came the idea for the early birthday party.
As per TODAY, one of Sturm's friends offered to let them use her house in Brentwood for the party. Sturm also received donations for a princess dress, a snowman arch, and more. Partygoers enjoyed storytime in the backyard and a balloon artist, who created a 4-foot version of Princess Ariel from the Disney animated film, The Little Mermaid. The party's menu included kid-friendly favorites such as meatballs, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets, as well as goodies like Adalyn's favorite, key lime pie, and a homemade "wedding cake" that Andrews baked with the birthday girl.
40 people took part in Adalyn's birthday. Sturm told TODAY that she was thrilled to see the support that the little girl received from her community. "I put requests on social media," Sturm said, about the party, "and it was amazing how people wanted to help."