All About Allie
Allison “Allie” Michelle Fisher was born on October 16th, 2009. She was welcomed into this world by me, her dad, and her sister, Evie. Our family was complete, and we wished for nothing more. We were blessed with a baby that was pure joy from day one. Allie was a very snuggly baby and always wanted to be held. She attached quickly to her Ducky and pink blankie, and these security items always brought her comfort. Allie met every developmental milestone on time. She walked one week prior to her first birthday. Allie quickly found her running legs after that. And boy, did she go! Allie had a motor, and it only operated in high gear. We chased her constantly, and with a careful eye, we tried our best to protect her from accidents and falls. However, the looming threat on our horizon was not an accident. It was childhood cancer, and it wasn’t anywhere on our radar.
Allie continued to thrive as a busy two-year-old. She potty trained in less than three weeks, and this brought her so much pride. Allie also started preschool at age two. She loved being in a classroom with other children, and she made many wonderful friends. Her favorite activities at school were painting, doing puzzles, and reading books. Allie developed a love for owls, and since she had trouble sleeping, we nicknamed her Little Owl. She would often pretend to be an owl by spreading her wings and soaring around the house. Allie loved the outdoors and was a big fan of playing on her swing set with her sister, Evie. She had no fear and would always tell us to push her “Higher! Faster!” on the swing. Allie also enjoyed listening to music and singing songs. Her favorites were Baby Beluga and anything by Hot Buttered Rum.
At age three, Allie met each day with excitement and would proudly announce “And the day beginsies!” as she hopped out of bed. She was incredibly sweet, and she would give hugs to everyone she met. She often said, “I love everybody in the whole entire world!” Allie was also very bright and would amaze us with her knowledge. She knew her letters and numbers, could write and spell her own name, and even knew her phone number. She accomplished all of this, while unbeknownst to us, the tumor was spreading throughout the most critical parts of her brain. Allie had started gaining weight and was unusually hungry. This was our first sign of something being wrong. We were told it was a side effect of a steroid inhaler that she was using. We never could have predicted that it was the first sign of brain cancer.
Allie suffered a massive seizure on March 21st, 2103, and that was the day that our lives changed forever. We got her back for 85 days after that, and that was the greatest gift of our lives. We hugged her tight, slept with her each night, and soaked up a lifetime of love in less than three months. She fought a hard fight and never complained during the many painful tests and hospital stays. On June 13th, 2013, we held Allie and cuddled her with Ducky and her pink blankie as she gently left this world. Gliomatosis cerebri took her at age three from a life she loved and a future that will forever be unknown. Although our hearts are forever broken, we will always cherish the joy and love she brought to our lives. Allie brought out the best in us, and her short life continues to inspire others. We will always be proud of our brave girl.