Tough As Nails

The smile on Madison Smith's face says it all. To everyone who meets Madi, her resilient and unrelenting attitude for life is infectious, even through the unthinkable. On Madi's third birthday, the Smith family of six started to notice something was wrong. During the next week, however, every time they thought about taking Madi to the doctor she would rebound with a good day.

Overall still not feeling well 10 days later, Madi visited the family pediatrician in Fayetteville, where she was treated for breathing problems. Originally she had been diagnosed with asthma, and her parents thought x-rays would resolve any remaining fears they had for their daughter's health. The concern turned quickly into a devastating diagnosis.

"Madison went from walking into the doctor's office not feeling well to being fully intubated, in a medically-induced coma, on a helicopter headed for Duke Children's," Allison Smith recalls. The x-rays showed that there was a mass consuming her upper body that had already collapsed her left lung leaving only 25 percent of her right lung working. Her heart was also in danger because the mass had continued to push against the veins leading to her heart. No words could describe the feelings Madi's parents endured as their daughter fought for her life. The mass in Madi's tiny, three-year-old chest was only the beginning. Tests revealed that acute leukemia lymphoma, a blood cancer, was the cause of the rapid growth of the mass on her thymus gland.

On September 24, just 12 days after celebrating her third birthday like any other precocious, vibrant little girl, she arrived at Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center and was rushed to emergency treatment. Immediately the nurses and doctors at Duke Children's Hospital were there to help not only Madi but the entire Smith family.

For two and a half years Madi fought the effects of the leukemia and treatment. Duke Children's never left her family's side. It takes a team to fight cancer and every player-the patient, doctors, nurses, child life specialists, social workers, parents, family and friends-plays a vital role.

In January of 2006 Madi had her final chemo treatment, and the bone marrow test showed no signs of leukemia cells, or as Madi likes to say, "There are no more bad guys." The mass in her chest was completely gone! Madi continues to grow...strong. She is often described by her mother as "tough as nails," and with that contagious spirit Madi looks forward to her eighth birthday. Madi continues to be followed at Duke and is considered to be in remission. In June of 2008, doctors at Duke Children's uncovered four blockages running to her heart--likely a residual result of her original disease. But Madi and her ever-adjusting body are strong. She is a trooper and inspiration to everyone she meets. Madi is determined that this recent finding will not set her back. Thanks to the care at Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center, the Smiths know that their daughter is in good hands!