CRANSTON, R.I.—On the surface, Ani Ayanyan is like most nine-year-old girls.
Beautiful. Kind. Intelligent.
She follows the Boston sports teams and does very well in her Grade 4 classes at Oaklawn School. It’s okay if she prefers gym over one of her more prioritized classes. Art and writing follow in close pursuit.
Kids around the playground call her “Sporty Spice” because she’s so athletic. It’s easy to see why. Ani plays ice hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball, and tennis, and swims. She also bowls better than most her age and looks forward to her role with the Armenian Scouts at Sts. Vartanantz Church in Providence.
This year, she was set to play flag football when fate intervened. The youngster was diagnosed with cancer and is waging the biggest ordeal of her life—to beat the odds.
“I’m always joking with her that with a closet full of clothes, she somehow always ends up wearing her sporty team jerseys,” says her mom Deanna. “We will fight this with everything we have and continue keeping the faith every step of the way. Ani’s a fighter!”
Just recently, Ani went through a 12-hour surgery to remove a grapefruit-sized tumor near her brain.
A cancer benefit called Ani’s Angels is planned for later this month at PJ’s Pub in Johnston. Those wishing to help with her medical expenses can send a check payable to Deanna Ayanyan, 18 Briar Hill Drive, Cranston, RI 02912.
“I call her my warrior,” says her mom. “She talks so freely about her ordeal. Ani even Googled some information and found out that eating cherries causes cancer cells to commit suicide. So we’re on the hunt to find cherries in the winter.”
It all happened so spontaneously. Two weeks into the school year, she woke up vomiting with a terrible headache. After waking from a nap, her left eye became visibly larger than the right. Her parents immediately called her pediatrician.
“At first, I thought maybe it was a thyroid condition, something like Graves disease,” Deanna says. “Ani had passed all her neurological tests. Maybe she was getting migraines since they’re hereditary in our family.”
An MRI revealed a “monster” tumor causing a partial blockage around both optic nerves, invading the nasal cavity and eye socket. Thankfully, it is 100 percent treatable.
Surgery took place in mid-October. Treatments will begin over the next week with chemotherapy and proton radiation five times a week for six weeks at Massachusetts General Hospital.
A month’s hiatus will follow, then more chemo as needed. The family is prepared to face the ordeal with a great deal of faith and fortitude.
“I lost my mom to a rare form of stomach cancer eight years ago,” says Deanna. “The side effects from treatment are so vivid in my mind. I’m just sickened at the thought that my innocent nine-year-old girl who is so full of energy is going to face such a trauma in her life. Both my children have been very positive through this.”
The day she was discharged, Ani had one remark for her surgeon, and it had nothing to do with the procedure she had just faced. Instead, it was about crooner Elvis Presley.
“Do you like Elvis?” she asked the doctor.
“Yes,” he replied.
In her best Elvis impersonation, she sang out a “thank you” to the man who just saved her life. A “high five” followed and both were on their way.
“It was just one of those Ani moments that puts a smile on my face and gives me the courage and strength to continue with my positive outlook for a great prognosis,” says Deanna. “It’s very therapeutic for me to share this with others.”
Ani wanted her dad to count the stitches in her head and it came out to 75. Her biggest concern when told about the effects of chemotherapy was the type of wig she would be wearing. In pure Ani fashion, she chose one of Rihanna’s hairstyles.
“I told her I have a new superhero and her name is ‘Ani Ayanyan’ and she’s a warrior.”
Ani just giggleg and replied, “Mom. I’m no superhero. I can’t fly!”
Tom Vartabedian
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Dear Ayanyan family
Google the “budwig regimen”, youtube the “Gersten theory”. google “food that make your body ph alkaline”
change your diet please it seems to be a family trait.
Drink water whithout fluoride(it reduces your iodine, an Extremely necessary element)
Eating khmor everyday and sugar(even natural) will make your body ph acidic.
Drink lemon and pineapple juice(press it naturally not purchased at the supermarket).it is the fastest way to make your body more alkaline.
Astvadz okneh.
Ani, you do have a superhero, and His name is Jesus Christ. God loves all of us and to prove this He sent His only Son to die for the sins of the world—for you and me and your family and everyone. God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20), so I ask God to place His own “spice” (the Holy Spirit) upon you and heal your body, in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Before giving false hope and pseudoscientific sources of healing, one should actually spend the time researching and vetting out bunk from real medicine.
Neither the Gerson therapy or any other “alternative medicinal” measures or a God figure can help this girl, only real medicine can which is based on scientific inquiry and not some charlatan based new age woo woo.
At least withe Gerson therapy we know that it has been discredited. And no, not even eshi yug is going to cut it. Best of luck to you and get better soon!
May this child be blessed and healed no child deserves to suffer as child and so many others have. I wish her the best I am sure she will be okay.