Emma's Fight

Hello all. For those who do not know me, my name is Kara Antonacci and Heather Neidlinger is my sister. She and my future brother-in-law, Jake Chatelain, have two beautiful children together, Zoey (2) and Emma (1). Jake and Heather were also set to be married very soon on May 27th. Everyone in our family was very excited, especially me and my husband, Sam. Jake and Sam have been best friends since middle school, so being both brothers-in-law and uncles to each other’s kids was always a pretty cool notion. Along with our two children, the eight of us have already built countless, lasting memories including family vacations, camping trips, zoo trips, etc. Our kids are fortunate that they get to spend a considerable amount of time together and are all very close. We are at the beginning stages of what will still be a wonderful life together filled with family and fun.

Unfortunately, this is all being put on pause at the moment as Jake and Heather have experienced a devastating and life-altering event. Their youngest daughter, Emma, who celebrated her first birthday in December, was just diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Until the recent birth of my daughter Cecilia, Emma had been the baby of the group. She has a huge personality and has gotten to grow up alongside her older sister and cousin, watching all the craziness two toddlers can get into. She brings a smile to everyone’s face by referring to most things by the name of her dog, “Arya.” She and her sister have a wonderful relationship filled with equal parts friendship and sisterly rivalry. Being her Aunt and watching her grow into the little girl she is now has been nothing but total and complete enjoyment.

The news of Emma’s recent diagnosis has sent a shockwave through our entire family as Emma is loved and cared for by so many. Emma and her family are staring down a long road of chemotherapy, hospital stays and possibly other surgical procedures. The most current plan is that Emma will undergo approximately 5 months of chemotherapy, mostly inpatient, with 10 days on, and 18 days off in cycles repeated 5 total times. Depending on her health status during those off cycles, she may only get to spend a day or two at home. All her other time will be spent living at the hospital. Fortunately for Emma, she has two of the best parents in the world and is surrounded by a great support system on both sides of her family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and even great-grandparents. The unfortunate part is regardless of all the support, with the amount of time Jake will be away from work, hospital bills, accommodations for Zoey, food, gas and other expenses will all add up. I am asking that people consider helping, no matter how big or small a sum, by donating to my sister and future brother-in-law. My aim is to take the burden associated with finances away from them so they can put all their energy into helping Emma heal and maintain a sliver of normalcy for their other daughter, Zoey.

No parent or child should have to go through cancer, and this family is no exception to that rule. Heather and Jake are wonderful parents who will fight this fight right alongside sweet Emma until she beats this terrible disease. Thank you for your time and consideration on this. If a donation is not feasible at this time, please consider simply keeping this family in your thoughts and prayers.

With love,

Sam, Kara, Frankie and Cecilia Antonacci