About Me — Amy Daniels

A typical, not-so-typical life.

Me and My Girl, Image by Amy Daniels

A few years ago I would’ve said that I’m a mom to two, married, and do some part-time research work at [insert place of employment of the day here]. You know, living your typical, ordinary suburban life. Except, my life was anything but typical because my daughter was anything but ordinary.

Emily, my sassy, sweet, smart-as-a-whip, blonde, beautiful, blue-eyed girl, was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was a baby. And for the next two decades, she underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and had several brain surgeries. She suffered side-effects from all of the treatment, such as epilepsy and Crohn’s Disease. She was also weak on one side, unable to use her right arm and her right leg was significantly weak. This, of course, meant we did not live a typical life — but not for a lack of trying.

In between doctor appointments, news of the tumor growing again, seizures, and physical therapy visits, Emily went to the local public school, played with neighborhood friends and babied her little brother. Meanwhile, I hung out with my mom friends and went to work part time while my husband worked full time. Emily didn’t let a brain tumor diagnosis get in her way, why should we?

But after decades of juggling the situation Emily was in, I came to terms with the fact that we weren’t…