Team Maddie Strong - Fighting together

10/08/2026

Well soccer has officially ended .. they won their last game 6-1 this week . Hunter had his soccer party with his team today with snacks and pizza . Avah finished Volleyball last week so sports are done for a couple days . Monday Hunter starts basketball 🏀 now I need to find him some basketball shoes now and money is nonexistent 😭 things are so tough right now all around and this mama is mentally exhausted. Plus Avah turns 14 next week Saturday (October 17) bills are piled up and they don’t stop when you don’t have money . Adulting is hard and I’m ready to trade in my subscription 😝 Madison had a half day today and tomorrow she has no school but she wants to volunteer at her old school tomorrow so I will be dropping her off with Avah and Hunter 💙 Madison loves to help and I think it will be very good for her to do something to keep her mind off of everything . She’s having a very hard time with things right now . Her procedure is comin up on the 27th. Then we meet with her neurosurgeon again on November 3rd. Life is hard but we will continue to pray !! I’m scheduled for my MRI next week Friday finally . Praying and hoping I don’t need another surgery. Please continue to pray and send positive vibes our way. Also I would like to share again about sending cards or letters to Avah . If you’re interested let me know and I will share our address with you . She also put together an Amazon wishlist if anyone would like to send her something off that . I will post it in the comments. Let’s help make this bday extra special for Avah .
Thanks again we love you all. ❤️

https://www.paypal.me/TeamMaddieStrong

https://cash.app/$TracyPagel42

https://venmo.com/u/Tracy-HovingaPagel

Avah’s wishlist

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/P3U9IVPSSGIT?ref_=wl_share

10/04/2026

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is ending tomorrow. This photo was taken before my daughter was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 8. I am sick thinking of all the children currently fighting. This will always weigh on me. I have been so deeply affected by childhood cancer that I will never stop helping the families in need. I will never forget the pain. It has changed me forever. I am sure some people think it's annoying or that I should “get over it.” That's okay. I accept that I can be annoying (I call it passionate). I will never get over it. It is still affecting my precious daughter. I am so thankful she is still alive. I am proud of the way she continues to navigate her ongoing health challenges that literally 99% of her peers will never know or experience. If you know someone facing a cancer journey in their family, do something to help them.Rake their leaves, take them a meal, give them cash, pray for them, and then tell them that you are; send a card, send a gift, donate to research in their honor, give them a hug, offer to clean their house, do something for the children. It is exhausting and terrifying, and it truly affects the entire family. 🎗️ We Bree-Lieve

10/02/2026

It’s been a whirlwind of a week , weeks and years . But this girl , my second baby will be Turning 14 in a couple weeks . (October 17th) Life has been hard for her with all the testing along with her sister Maddie . Lots of unknowns for a while but her last MRI was good no signs of anything. Praise the Lord. She does need to take an iron supplement everyday bc of her hemoglobin being pretty low. We will recheck her labs and she will have an ultrasound and oncology appt in November along with Maddie . Avah is having a lot of emotions with middle school drama and with all her appts . Having Lifraumeni syndrome is hard but one day at a time . I’m grateful for the medical team we have for the girls . We are dealing with a lot as a family and I’m asking if we can come together to make Avahs 14th bday special . If anyone would like to send a card or letter of bday wishes or even just a thinking of you !! Anything would help brighten her day 🩷 I appreciate you all so very much !! We are just trying to take one moment at a time . Life is hard and when you add daily life struggles and medical stuff on top of that . It just makes it that much harder. 💞👭💞

10/01/2026

It’s been a busy week filled with more appointments, soccer and celebrating Daisy Doodles 8th birthday we have had so many ups and downs this week , well I should say the last few weeks . Still waiting to schedule my mri for my ankle/foot. It’s been so painful but it can’t stop this mama . Kids still need me to take them to school and back . Along with all the appointments and everything in between. But they are worth it all . Maddie will have her scope done on October 27 (EGD) I’m suppose to have my surgery next week for my hand but I’m doing to call and talk to them . I just can’t be off work or have any restrictions right now . I just have way too much debt . We are behind in everything and still paying on braces /dental work . So many things happening and life is hard right now . We have so many appts for Maddie coming up that I have to take time off for those and I just can’t afford it right now. Both girls will have their ultrasounds , labs and oncology appointments on November 10th. Maddie goes back to Mott’s Children’s Hospital on November 3. We will discuss her Brain surgery . A lot going on and I just hope we get answers for Maddie . So much pain for this girl and I’m over watching her struggle. I want my baby to be able to enjoy life . Not worry about if her cancer is back , will these spots grow , will she always be in pain, will I die and will I get to cross off things on my bucket list . Yes my daughter has a bucket list 😭 it’s sad that she has a list of things she hopes she can do or see someday . I pray that she can cross all of them off !! We all should have dreams and goals in life !! I wish my daughter didn’t have to worry about surviving, I wish she didn’t have to worry about cancer !! I hate what this has done to her and our family . Both Avah and Hunter worry about her and Avah worries about herself getting cancer too . Lifraumeni syndrome is awful but all we can do is stay on protocol and keep advocating. We appreciate all your love , prayers and support so much ! We love you all.
This is the last day of September🎗️but every single day childhood cancer is a part of our lives and we will never stop fighting 🎗️it has changed our lives

09/25/2026

Busy couple of days but that’s life .. lots of appointments and more appointments. But also had some fun watching Avah get recognized at her last Volleyball game . All the 8th graders got recognized and received a rose 🌹 They lost but they all had fun playing. Maddie came and watched but kept getting close to getting hit by the ball so she decided to move across the room lol Today Maddie had another appointment at Mary Free bed and they did some more evaluation on her . She also was checked for Scoliosis and she’s measuring pretty close to having It. So she told me to tell her pediatrician and have her keep an eye on it . Poor Maddie always has something new to address and life just keeps throwing things at this poor girl . But all we can do is take one day at a a time and try to stay positive and pray. Madison added to her Bucket list and lately she has talked a lot about things she has missed out on . She told her team of drs the other day that she didn’t have a childhood and it’s not fair . She missed out on so much and she wished that it didn’t happen to her . Then she preceded to say that she is going to die of cancer and then started to cry. 😭 this life hasn’t been fair but I try my best to keep her happy. Things are tough right now but I’m trying to be here for her for whatever she needs . I try to be here for all 3 of them for whatever they need . I will always be there number one fan , their advocate and their support system. I will never ever give up on them !! Not ever !! I love them to the moon and back . They are more world !!

09/23/2026

It was a very long day … lots of anxiety and so much PTSD for this mama. It never gets easier not EVER!! This life these girls have to endure I wouldn’t wish on anyone . This sucks on every level !! Today was the first time Avah had to endure the IV first and it was not the best experience unfortunately. But she did it !! I’m so very proud of her . She was under general anesthesia for over two hours . I went back and she was still pretty out of it but when she finally came too she could barely talk . Her throat hurts so bad , this was far the worse I have ever had with anesthesia. Not sure if they scraped something with the breathing tube but she is still in misery tonight. She has lived on ice , popsicles and water since we got home at 2pm. I have never had either of the girls endure this much pain with it . Madison has had them all her live and yeah she’s been a little sore but this is the first that one of them has cried in pain. I hate this so much . I’m hoping and praying she’s much better tomorrow. 🙏🤞after her Mri we went up to clinic and met with her oncologist Dr C . ( Cornelius ) not all her labs came back yet and didn’t get her results yet from her mri . Hopefully tomorrow we will get those back . If everything looks good she will continue to do ultrasounds , labs and oncology every 3 months. She will also continue to have her MRIs once a year as well . LiFraumeni syndrome is awful and so scary but as long as we keep up this protocol if anything shows up we will hopefully catch it early enough. Thank you for all the continued prayers and support. We appreciate it so much . It was such a long day and i need to ice and elevate this foot/ankle . Sprains are no joke thats for sure , plus it being the foot/ankle i had surgery on two years ago. Waiting on my mri to be scheduled i hope and pray there is nothing more to this foot. I don’t want another surgery. Like i have always said one day at a time.. one minute at a time. Life is hard 😭

09/22/2026

Just took her back .. now I wait which is the hardest part 😭This never gets easier not EVER!! This was the first time she had to do the IV first . Indy was there to help and she did amazing !! I’m so proud of her . Both Maddie’s and Avah’s strength inspire me so much 😭Life continues to be hard but these girls are amazing!! It’s a full body MRI !! So it will be awhile . Thanks for all the continued prayers.

09/22/2026

Busy Monday … Avah and Hunter didn’t have school but Maddie did so ran her to school . Then I had an appointment today for my foot/ankle. I fell last week and this past weekend and sprained my ankle/foot. The dr thinks I did more than that so she put in for an mri . Now I wait for that to get scheduled . I am to wear a brace and try and take it easy . Well it’s the same foot /ankle I had surgery on two years ago and of course it’s my driving foot . So this shall be fun. It’s so painful 😖 Can’t sleep which isn’t a surprise but now it’s even worse with this . Today I will take Maddie and hunter to school and then Avah and I will be off to the hospital. It’s Avah’s day to spend the day at the hospital with her labs , sedated full body mri and oncology appointment. She’s so nervous and scared 😭 I hate this for my girls but all we can do is pray. Lifraumeni syndrome sucks !!! Maddie had her first choir concert . Everyone did amazing . Next one will be October 19. This was more to show us what they have been working on etc. We need to get her all black attire before her next concert. Requirements are all black attire and then they will get a red scarf to wear as well. Maddie loves to sing she was in choir through school before and now she continues. My brave , beautiful and strong girl. Things have been very hard mentally , emotionally and physically with Maddie and history the whole family . It’s been so hard and even trying to take one minute at a time has been difficult. Please send positive vibes and prayers are way . Also please Follow, Like and Share . Thank you so much .

09/20/2026

09/19/2026

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