Daycare to host benefit for family

Nicole Rodabaugh holds her daughter, Jada, who will benefit for a fundraiser set for March 11 at Applebee’s in Lapeer. Jada suffers from neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that attacks less than 600 children nationwide annually. Photo by Phil Foley ELBA TWP. — Jada Rodabaugh was only six months old when her parents noticed a lump in her neck and a persistent cough.

It took several weeks and several doctors to discover that it wasn’t just another childhood sniffle, but something a whole lot more serious — neuroblastoma, a rare cancer attacking less than 600 children nationwide annually.

Jada’s friends at Little Learners Daycare in Metamora will hold a fund raiser from 7-10 a.m. March 11 at Applebee’s in Lapeer to help her parents with some of their extra expenses.

Jada’s mom, Nicole, said that while her employer and her husband’s have been “very accommodating,” they used their savings last summer during Jada’s first round of treatments.

Between April and June, there were frequent trips to the University of Michigan Children’s Hospital for chemotherapy and surgery, following by more chemotherapy.

“I don't really know how to describe it,” said Nicole. “I’ve seen a lot of kids there a whole lot worse off than Jada. It’s hard to watch.”

But by the end of the summer, the Rodabaughs thought they were out of the woods.

Walt Rodabaugh, Jada’s great uncle and head of Lapeer County’s Animal Shelter, saw her at Christmas. “Everyone was elated,” he recalled. “She was running around, jumping and playing. She’s definitely a little cutie.”

But then last month during a routine check up doctors found a new lump.

While neuroblastoma is rare, it’s still the most common cancer in infants and the survival rates range from 95 to 30 percent, depending on several factors.

Still, said Walt, “the family’s holding up pretty well.”

“I’m a pretty positive person, said Nicole.

Last week Nicole and Joe took their daughter to Ann Arbor every day for chemotherapy. This week they have three trips planned. That will be followed by a two-week break, with trips to the Lapeer Cancer Center for blood tests and then more chemotherapy and surgery.

“It’s been just heartbreaking,” said Jaclyn Voss, who owns Little Learners Daycare. “She’s such a sweet little girl. We can’t imagine what they’re going through. We miss her terribly.”

While the Rodabaughs’ health insurance and the Shawn Burr Foundation have covered Jada’s medical expenses, the frequent trips to Ann Arbor have created a strain for them.

Voss set up a savings account for them at ELGA to accept donations and organized a pancake breakfast for them at Applebee’s. Voss said tickets are $7 and can be bought in advance at the daycare center, 3782 S. Lapeer Rd. Metamora, or at the door at Applebee’s, 1811 DeMille Blvd., the day of the event.

Voss said they’ll also hold a raffle during the breakfast. She said prizes will include a Wii, Coach purse, Block Buster gift basket; a Logan’s Road House gift certificate, tickets to Lapeer Cinemas and a gift certificate for Pistachio’s in Metamora.

While dealing with cancer isn’t easy for anyone, much less a 17- month-old Jada’s mom said, “She handles it really well. Not able to run around is the worst part.”