 March 19, 2002 Jessica Marie Claire Durigon is born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. August 22, 2002 Jessica is diagnosed with a brain stem tumour (ependymoma). August 22, 2002 Jessica undergoes surgery to remove 99% of the tumour. Jessica's tumour is donated to Dr. Peter Dirks and his research team at the Sonia and Arthur Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids), Toronto. October 18, 2002 Jessica returns home to Guelph and starts daily chemotherapy at home following numerous surgeries for shunts, infections, and feeding tubes. December 3, 2002 MRI and spinal taps show no sign of a residual tumour or the presence of cancer cells in her spinal fluid. December 8, 2002 The family remains hopeful that she will be a miracle child and survive this disease. There is a party for Jessica to celebrate. February 2003 Jessica resumes reaching developmental milestones; she is sitting and standing on her own. At the end of February she almost walks. March 6, 2003 Jessica is hospitalized for five days for a cold. She shows no signs of tumour re-growth or motor impairment. March 17, 2003 The worsening cold reveals devastating news. Upon re-admittance, a CT scan shows a large tumour has re-grown and doctors believe she could not survive another surgery. March 19, 2003 Jessica celebrates her first birthday. It is the last day Jessica is aware of her surroundings, she slips into a coma. March 21, 2003 Jessica dies at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, just two days after her first birthday and seven months after her diagnosis. March-April 2003 Friends and family raise over $13,000 for Sick Kids Foundation in honour of Jessica. June 2003 Dr. Peter Dirks and his team of researchers identify a potential cancer stem cell for brain tumours. This discovery may have an enormous influence on how brain tumours are treated in the future and lead to new ways to thinking about cancer. Jessica's tumour was used in this research using funds from the Jessica Durigon Fund at Sick Kids Foundation. August 13, 2005 First Annual Summer Bash Fundraiser in memory of Jessica. August 19, 2006 First Annual Jessica's Footprint: A Walk in the Park Fundraiser. The walk proves to be very successful, raising over $140,000 for Brain Tumour Research at Sick Kids. November 2006 Jessica's Footprint is selected as one of the charities of choice for the Grand Opening of Walmart in Guelph. Walmart donates $12,000 to Jessica's Footprint. April 2007 Dr. Peter Dirks and his research team publish findings on drug testing that is opening the door to potential new classes of drugs for the development of brain cancer treatments. July 14, 2007 2nd Annual Jessica's Footprint: A Walk in the Park Fundraiser is another success raising over $170,000 and has over 1100 walkers July 12, 2008 3rd Annual Jessica’s Footprint A Walk in the Park Fundraiser. |
