HOUSTON – Eden was 14 years old when she played the police officer in KPRC 2′s Fight 2 End Pediatric Cancer PSA. We asked her mom Shannon Green to give us an update and some background on Eden’s battle with cancer.
Meet Eden Simone Green. Eden has been cancer-free for 2 ½ years now!!! She has a follow-up PET Scan in September just to make sure all is still well. She is starting 11th grade this year! She is working toward getting her license, and she already has a car. Overall she is doing great!
Eden has battled cancer twice. She has a rare bone cancer. It’s so rare that there isn’t even a name for it. She is the only known case in the country and the world.
Her diagnosis: Eden was first diagnosed in June of 2015 when she was 10 years old. She had been complaining of leg pain off and on since March. Eden was a dancer and--therefore--was always leaping and jumping, so at first, her parents chalked her leg pain up to that, as well as being an active kid.
More about Eden's rare cancer: The doctors at Texas Children's Hospital have given her cancer a technical term "Primitive small blue round cell tumor primitive neural phenotype". Dr. Foster, her oncologist, calls it "Eden's Tumor".
How cancer has impacted Eden and her family: Eden's fight against cancer has meant many visits and lots of time spent at Texas Children's Hospital both at main campus and west campus. Eden has had 14 surgeries, endured 23 rounds of chemo therapy, and has had more than 30 blood transfusions because her blood levels were too low. Her family has been with her every step of the way.
When Eden was admitted to the hospital for chemo, her whole family moved in and were with her the entire time. Eden's mom worked from her hospital room, and Eden's dad commuted to and from work from the hospital each day. Mya, Eden's younger sister, was also there to lend her support and encouragement. She's struggled with seeing her older sister sick and in the hospital so much.
Eden endured 8 weeks of radiation at MD Anderson and countless pokes with needles. She spent 9 months without walking; she was in a scooter or wheelchair and has done physical therapy twice a week for 2 ½ years.
Eden has damage to her right shoulder because of the tumor and, at some point in time, will need to have surgery to repair her right shoulder.
She has already had hip surgery to repair damage to the bone from steroids used to protect parts of Eden's body from chemo drugs she had to take.
Eden's family is thankful for Texas Children's Hospital. She is still here and alive thanks to the treatments, but her family does wish there were more alternative methods to treat cancer, ones that do not have such harsh side effects.
Eden's family says that it is hard to summarize how cancer has impacted them. There are many side effects that cancer causes to a family; stress, emotional, physical, financial and the list could go on. Eden's family says they are Christians and believe that God was with Eden and their family throughout, and were at peace and comforted.
Eden has fought hard to beat cancer twice--and she has kept a smile on her face, having faith in God that He was with her.
KPRC 2 would like to thank B.I.G. Love Cancer Care for all it does to help children like Eden. If you would like to donate to B.I.G. Love Cancer Care, click here.