Full story

We appreciate your love and support! As background, Stella hadn’t been feeling well for a few months. After exploring several possibilities for being sick, we found out that she had a brain tumor on July 7th. She had the tumor removed on July 10th at Children’s Hospital in Wauwatosa and received great care from the staff there. Stella’s brain tumor was a medulloblastoma, which is cancerous, and she is experiencing posterior fossa syndrome, which is a common post-surgery condition that impacts her ability to speak, walk, and coordinate her body. Her particular type of cancer has a good outlook for long-term recovery, but it is slow. Her path for treatment and recovery involved a seven-week stay at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN during August and September to receive proton beam radiation treatment and rehabilitation, including physical, occupational, and speech therapies. She returned to Milwaukee on September 28th and received chemotherapy at Children's Hospital in Wauwatosa for four months from November 2023 - February 2024. Over the next several months and beyond, she'll continue her hard work with her therapies. Stella has a long road ahead, but she's got an incredible village that surrounds her with love and support. Stella is amazingly brave and strong.

More info at her Caring Bridge site: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/stellaschneider