Georgiana Eleni Antonopoulos was born on December 21,1992. She was a VERY healthy child. Georgiana was always a very good baby and child. As she grew she became an affectionate, selfless, caring human being. When Georgiana was about 2 years old her dad an I seperated and then divorced. I thought that Georgiana was going to be a mess because of this—I was scared out of my mind. I went to counseling for myself so that I would do the right thing for Georgiana. As time went on, and Georgiana got older I knew I did the right thing. She did not remember much about that time in her life; she was only 2. She did start to ask questions about it and I was always honest with her. I believe that we became even closer because of the divorce. We were inseperable, or so I thought.

I met Greg, my husband now, in 1995. Greg and Georgiana became so close and I was so lucky to have met him. He treated Georgiana like she was his own and always referred to Georgiana as "my daughter." Don't get me wrong, Georgiana loved her dad, but there was a special bond between Greg and Georgiana. When Georgiana first met Greg she could not say "Greg," she called him "Geggie." Somehow, she could not get the "r" right. So the name "Geggie" stuck with him and that is what Georgiana always called him.

Greg and I were married June 19, 1999, two weeks after Georgiana was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Lymphoma. We were going to cancel the wedding and just focus on Georgiana but at that point we would have lost everything that we invested in the wedding. So, the doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia let Georgiana wait until June 21, 1999 to start her chemotherapy. Georgiana could not wait for the wedding. She had a beautiful white gown—after all she was the flowergirl! And what a beautiful one she was. We had a beautiful day and for that day we had fun, not ever imagining what would lie ahead of us.

Georgiana started her chemo on June 21,1999. By July 1st we were in the hospital with the fevers and she lost all her beautiful hair. As many parents know, those first few months of chemo are the worst. We were in and out of the hospital from July to December. In January 2000, Georgiana started her maintanance stage. She only had to go to clinic for chemo once a month. Her hair was coming back in, she was gaining weight and she was feeling great. We went to Disney World in April from the "Make-A-Wish Foundation." Georgiana LOVED it. She was very outgoing and always made fun wherever she went. It was always her dream to go to Disney World and she got it! Then the summer came and I promised her we would make up for last summer. We went to the beach, which was Georgiana's FAVORITE place to be. She loved the sand and the ocean. However, on July 31,2000 we received more bad news.

To be honest, the month of July (2000), I was worried about Georgiana. We were in the hospital July 4th with pneumonia. And after we went home she still was not looking her normal self....call it a mother's intuition! She was more tired and I noticed some unexplainable bruises. I took her into clinic and they did her CBC but they said it was okay. Her counts were a little out of whack but nothing to be concerned about. I was told to bring her back in two weeks. So, we went home but I was not convinced that she was okay. For those two weeks Georgiana was getting more bruises and was even more tired.

The nurses did Georgiana's CBC abd a few minutes later the doctor came up to me and said, "Can we talk for a few minutes in the conference room?" They confirmed what I already knew in my heart. Georgiana relapsed and we were admitted into the hospital. She bagan heavy doses of chemotherapy through her port. We were told she needed to have a Bone marrow Transplant and that her port would need to be changed to a broviac catheter. So a few weeks later the doctors changed the port into the broviac and Georgiana's blood counts dropped to zero just like they said they would.

Now it was time for another bone marrow aspirate to see if the chemo worked. I knew, yet again when the doctor came in Georgiana's room and said "can we talk in the conference room" that it didn't work. She confirmed my thought and said it didn't touch the leukemia. The next option was to go ahead with another round of chemo. So that is what we did. After the first round I was scared even more. Georgiana was in the ICU for a few days due to infection and I thought for sure she would be there again. She started the second round of chemo and by the end of October the leukemia was still out of control. They told us Georgiana's body developed an MDR (Multi Drug Resistance). Her body was rejecting the medication.

We got to go home, finally, for a lttle while. We tried an experimental drug called Immunotherapy. That of course did not work either. We were told that Georgiana could not get her bone marrow transplant and that she would have less than a year to live. That was the end of October.

Georgiana looked really good but she would still get tired and vomit a lot. We came home and she enjoyed Halloween. A few days after that, we were back in the hospital with a very high fever. The fevers were persistant but they were just getting too high for me to ignore. At that point we were told that maybe we should talk to Georgiana about death. Georgiana did not want to go home. You must understand that Georgiana LOVED being in the hospital...sounds crazy I'm sure. But she made so many friends and the fact that we were there for four months straight that became her "new" home. So I asked Georgiana if she was afraid to go home because she thought she might die at home. And she said "yes." Then she asked why I was saying that and wanted to know if she was going to die. That was the hardest thing I ever had to hear. I told her that the doctors and that everyone else is concered about it because the chemo had not worked the way we all wanted it to. I asked her if she was afraid to die. She said, "No, but if I die then I know I will not see you for a really long time mommy, until you die and I will miss you so much." We both laid in bed and cried for a little while then Georgiana wanted to color and did not want to talk about that again.

We went home after that day and tried to enjoy time at home. She was still having the fevers and was very tired. One of Georgiana's favorite nurses, Deb, got Georgiana tickets to see N'Sync in concert. Georgiana was a HUGE N'Sync fan and was always watching their concert video and dancing around when she could. So we had that to look forward to. Then to top that off, her oncologist somehow arranged for her to meet N'Sync! Wow, she was really excited! So on November 12th we were off to the concert. However, Georgiana was not feeling well at all that day. She was vomitting alot and she was very weak. She could not walk because she was so weak. But she wanted to see N'Sync. We left before the concert was over because she was so tired and could stay awake. I felt so bad for. She was getting worse, I could see it but didn't want to believe it. The next day Georgiana said to me "Mom, I want to go to the hospital. I don't feel right." So I called and we went it.

We never came out. Her pain was high and she had double pneumonia and fluid on her stomach. They started her on antibiotics and morphine but within a week and a half she was developing more infections while on the antibiotics. The doctors told us this is the infection that will take her. She had two weeks tops to live. Though we did not tell Georgiana that, I know in my heart she knew she was dying. She spoke af many strange things. The "light" in her eyes, another person being in the room. I know that she knew but she was not going to talk about it because Georgiana always worried about other people being upset. She was not going to let anyone be sad.

We promised her a birthday party. Georgiana's birthday is December 21st but we always had it early due to it being so close to Christmas. So, on November 22nd we had a party for her in the hospital playroom. She was obviously very sick but she got in there and we sang and she blew out her candles and opened her presents. Shortly after that she wanted to go back to her room to sleep. The next day, Thanksgiving, she shocked me. The docs said we could go home on a 6 hour pass for the holiday. I thought for sure Georgiana would never want to go. But she sat up and said I want to go! We got her dressed and went to my inlaws for dinner. We were there for about 2 hours and Georgiana wanted to go back to the hospital. Friday morning the doctor came in and checked Georgiana out and told us that she would pass in the next day or 2. She was looking very "gray" and was not eating or drinking at that point. Two signs in the dying process. But Friday she was still sitting up and wanted to go for walks in the wheelchair.

Saturday morning came and she woke up and wanted to go to the bathroom. Georgiana would NEVER use a bedpan, she was "not a baby" she would say! Then she went back to sleep and became unconcious. She stayed that way until 7:00AM Sunday morning (November 26th) when she took her last breath in my arms. As she took her last breath she opened her eyes to look at me. A vision I will never forget for as long as I live.

The doctors told us that the hearing was the last to go. Everytime I would get up off the bed when she was unconcious she would grunt. My sister told her I was just using the bathroom or eating. When I would get back in bed with her she would nestle her little bald head right in my armpit. When I would talk to her and tell her that I loved her she would squeeze my hand. Greg and I told her it was okay to "let go" and that she fought enough. It was time to stop.

Georgiana touched so many lives. She never once complained about anything in the hospital. She would do whatever she had to do or was told to do. She was notorious for saying "thank you" even after she got an injection! She was a true symbol of courage, strength, grace and beauty. She was the most selfless little girl in the whole world. And she has taught me so much through all of this. Now, Greg and I must find a way to go on without her. That itself just does not sound right. It was always "the 3 of us." We have no other children and that I believe makes this alot harded to handle. I am not doing the "mommy things" anymore. That is what I miss so much. We are left with all of her belongings, now memories.

I always thought of Georgiana as "an angel on earth.......now she is an angel in Heaven." Sadly, sadly missed and alwand always will be forever and ever.

Visit Georgiana's Web Site
Jennifer Phelan