10-year-old courageously battles cancer after father's death
HIGHLAND TWP., Mich. (FOX 2) - A little girl is in the fight for her life, battling stage four cancer.
Ella Peterson's diagnosis is a shock for her family and just two months after her father died unexpectedly.
"If you ever find out that you have cancer know you will get through it because God is next to you, God will make you get through this," she said. "You will get through this one way or another and both ways will be great."
Wise words from 10-year-old Ella Peterson.
Her cancer started in her lungs - "Some nights it felt like I was being stabbed, so there were nights I would be crying and stuff."
When she was diagnosed last month it already spread throughout her body. She's been in and out of the hospital undergoing chemotherapy.
The devastating diagnosis came just two months after Ella's dad Paul died unexpectedly.
"The hardest thing about this is not being able to see my dad," she said. "It feels like he's here, like he's next to me going through this with me."
The Peterson family didn't even have time to grieve - but somehow they're holding it together.
"I don't think I have the words for how amazing she is," said Rebecca Peterson, Ella's mother.
Rebecca Peterson says Ella's care is expensive. They travel from their home in Highland Township in Oakland County to Ann Arbor for treatment. The bills are adding up.
"I was going to school and work and I stepped away from both of those to be with her," Rebecca said.
Ella isn't in school right now. She's adjusting to the feeding tube and her new look - her mom had to shave her head last week.
"Elizabeth is a fighter, she's amazing," said her sister.
"I knew she was tough but like this was something else," said her brother.
She wants people to know she loves math and swimming.
"I will stay in a pool the entire day even if my hair turns green afterwards," she said.
But it's her attitude we could all learn from.
"Even though sometimes it will hurt, just knowing there are so many people will love you (helps)," she said.
Friends of the Peterson family have set up a GoFundMe page to help the family cover Ella's medical expenses.