Nancy Kucinic

Penny was our smiley, talkative baby with contagious joy. After her second birthday, we started to notice heightened clumsiness, delayed milestones, and personality changes. We suspected something was wrong and started searching for answers.

She was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea with suspected inner ear issues. During her tonsillectomy the surgeon found her ears to be pristine and had no explanation for her off-balance. Penny’s symptoms heightened with sporadic headaches and vomiting. After personal research, and clean ears, we started to suspect a tumor and began pursuing neurology.On June 21, ten days post tonsillectomy, Penny had such alarming symptoms we rushed her to the ER and demanded a CT scan. We discovered Penny did in fact have a very large tumor in her cerebellum and massive fluid buildup surrounding her brain. She was transported to Cleveland Clinic where she received an 18 hour brain surgery and spent a month recovering with rehab. Just 3 weeks later, we left to adopt her little brother in India.

Penny still attends weekly therapy where she works on strength, coordination, and confidence. Although the brain damage caused by the tumor may never reverse, Penny has continued to make miraculous progress. These days she loves all things princesses, but also loves playing superhero with her brothers.Penny Lou will always be our brave girl. Her bravery was inspirational through her surgeries and learning to walk again in therapy. She continues to be brave through appointments and MRIs every 3 months. We continue to sing praises for the way we’ve seen God write our brave Penny Lou’s story.