Like many active seven-year-old children, Meg loved drawing, sports, fashion, dancing and spending time with family and friends. Then unexpected changes happened in early 2010. Meg started to complain of a lack of hearing in her left ear.  She then began to have difficulty walking and playing sports. Meg’s parents, Jim and Terri, took her to the pediatrician. What they thought would be a brief visit to the doctor quickly escalated into a life-changing moment for their family. 

The nurse practitioner immediately noticed neurological deficits and abnormalities in Meg’s coordination and sent her for an MRI. The MRI revealed that Meg had a brain tumor, and the family was immediately transported to Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in an ambulance. On February 25, Meg was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable brain tumor that grows along the nerves within the brain stem. Unfortunately, since surgery is not an option for DIPG, Jim and Terri were informed that the prognosis for their 'Sweet Meg' was that she would probably only have another nine months to a year to live. Meg was admitted to Duke Children’s for six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. 

Community of Love

Despite the difficult diagnosis and prognosis, the Wasleys took time to travel--including a trip to New York and a Disney Cruise--to make sure Meg was living life to the fullest.  One of the most memorable trips they took was to Los Angeles, where Meg starred in an episode of “Kimora – Life in the Fab Lane.” Over the summer, Meg enjoyed a trip to the beach, got her ears pierced, attended a Taylor Swift concert, and even met Paul Teutul from “Orange County Choppers.” The family made every moment memorable.

Organizations, individuals, friends and strangers from around the community reached out to support the family by hosting local fundraisers. In the spring of 2010, the Duke Women's Lacrosse Team adopted Meg as a member and treated the Wasley family as they would their own. Before her illness and diagnosis, Meg was an avid lacrosse player. “Meg was like our little sister,” said Emma Hamm, Duke Women’s Lacrosse Team member. “From the first time we met her at Duke Children’s, everyone saw something special in her."

"You would have never known that she was sick," remarked Hamm. "Every time we saw her, she had a beaming smile.” The team visited Meg in the hospital and at home, played games, did arts and crafts and made music videos. At times when Meg felt well, the family would attend team dinners and games. She would join the team on the sidelines--she was the team’s biggest fan. 

“She loved lacrosse as much as we loved her,” said Hamm. “We had signs she made up in our locker room, so we could see them every time we walked in and out of the room. She brightened up Duke Lacrosse in many ways.” The team would encourage Meg by texting and sending her messages, and she referred to them as her big sisters. The connection between Meg and the Duke Women’s Lacrosse Team made a difference and an impression upon the Wasley family.

“We love the Women’s Lacrosse Team,” said Terri. “They are such wonderful people.” 

‘For the Love of Meg’

During the fall of 2010, it became clear that Meg’s tumor was progressing. Then she suddenly fell ill with an infection. On January 10, 2011, after an 11-month battle, 'Sweet Meg' peacefully passed away in the loving arms of both her mother and father, surrounded by family and friends.

The Duke Women’s Lacrosse Team dedicated the 2011 season in Meg's memory and held a special game in her honor, calling it “Meg’s Game.” The team wore commemorative t-shirts during warm-up, bracelets with the phrase “For the Love of Meg,” and patches sewn on their uniforms with Meg’s initials and her favorite colors of green and Duke Blue.  

Following the game, Jim, Terri and Meg’s brother, Jake, were honored at a ceremony with a framed jersey for Meg, and the team hosted a free youth clinic in her honor. At “Meg’s Game” and throughout the season, the Women’s Lacrosse Team accepted donations and held fundraisers to raise funds for a memorial. After raising more than $10,000, the team discussed what should be done with those funds to best honor Meg.

“We chose to honor Meg in a special way by dedicating a 2011 Duke Children’s Holiday Card in honor of her, and we are very excited,” said Hamm. All proceeds from the sale of Holiday and All-Occasion Cards support Duke Children’s programs and research. Sponsoring a card for Meg has helped the team come full-circle by giving back to the hospital where Meg received her care. Through the card and in her memory, 'Sweet Meg’s' story will continue to touch lives, and her smile will always be remembered.