Katie

Katie's family was about to celebrate her second birthday when she saw her first snowfall. The family had gone to visit relatives and was looking forward to coming home that December 9. "Katie got her present early from her grandparents -- little pink snow boots with fur," recalls Katie’s mom, Basilisa. "She and her sister, Belen, were making snow angels all day."

Right before the family left for vacation, Katie had been taken to the doctor because her eyes appeared to be turning out. The doctor scheduled an MRI scan for when they returned, a day before Katie's birthday party. "I remember thinking that it was probably nothing and we could still have her party," says Basilisa.

No one was prepared for the shocking news – Katie was diagnosed with pilomyxoid astrocytoma, a rare and newly discovered type of brain tumor. "The bottom fell out of our lives," says Basilisa. So instead of a party, Katie was scheduled for a craniotomy, a procedure in which surgeons open the skull to try to remove the tumor. Eight months later, Katie has had many surgeries and is on a regimen of chemotherapy, making her very sick at times. She has lost most of the sight in one eye, but through it all she has been amazing -- happy, full of energy and a good appetite.