Abby Furco was diagnosed with cancer when she was four years old. Over the next few years, her family did everything they could to prolong her life. However, when she turned 10, the doctors told her parents she wouldn't make it.
As Abby's parents were planning her funeral, she suddenly opened her eyes, looked at them, and said these seven unforgettable words.
Abby Furco
Abby lived in Virginia Beach with her mother Patty, father Joe, and two sisters Maggie and Emily.
She loved going to summer camp, reading books, and baking chocolate cakes. At first glance, Abby appeared much like any other ten-year-old. However, there was something many people didn't know about her. Abby had been fighting cancer since she was a little girl.
Cancer Diagnosis
When Abby was four years old, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Unlike other forms of cancer, this type couldn't be treated with the usual chemotherapy drugs. "We were devastated," Patty said. "There was very little hope." They had no idea that things were about to get even worse for the little girl.
20% Chance of Survival
With that being said, Abby's prognosis wasn't looking good. The doctors gave her a 20% chance of survival. However, her parents refused to accept this news and fought for her life until the very end.
"The day Abby was diagnosed will be in my mind forever," Patty recalled. "Doctor Wesler introduced himself as a hematologist and oncologist, and his first words were ' Your daughter Abigail has leukemia.' After that, I heard nothing else of what he said." Over the next few years, Abby's parents did all they could to prolong her life.
They Were Devastated
In a 2017 interview with People, Patty opened up about her daughter's diagnosis: "We were devastated. We were basically told that she was going to die. There was very little hope."
"We didn't know what to expect. It's not something that anybody could ever prepare for," Abby's dad said. And he was right. Nothing could've prepared them for what happened on her funeral day.
Her Life Changed
Ever since getting diagnosed, Abby spent a lot of time in the hospital receiving radiation treatments and intense chemotherapy.
Every day, Abby took a handful of pills to slow down the spread of cancer. She also had a bone marrow transplant and participated in a drug trial. But none of these treatments seemed to be working on her.
Surrounded by Love
"We kept her surrounded by love because we knew at any moment we could lose her," Patty said.
"There were moments we didn't know if she would pull through as she had many infections that could've ended her life. All we had to do was watch her fight and try to get better," she continued.
Abby's Thoughts
Abby said she couldn't understand what was going on with her body after being diagnosed with cancer. "There were lots of new and scary things to me, and I was only four years old, so I didn't understand most of it," she said in an interview.
"I was still kind of new to even going and just getting like your normal kid checkups. It was super scary." she continued. But thankfully, she started feeling better in October 2013. And that was when the unthinkable happened.
Feeling Better
Abby responded well to her treatment and returned to normal life. She was even able to go back to school and attend soccer practice without going to the hospital in between.
In addition, she also signed up for the Girl Scouts with her classmates. However, the return to normalcy was short-lived. Sadly, her cancer returned in 2014.
The Cancer Came Back
Having their daughter diagnosed with cancer again felt like a cruel blow for the Furcos. Moreover, Abby appeared to be sicker than before.
"As hard as that first diagnosis was, this one tested every ounce of our being," Patty said. Abby could barely move now, and it was evident she was losing her battle with cancer.
Another Operation
The little girl was so exhausted that she could barely speak. To treat her cancer, the doctors and her family decided that she needed a second bone-marrow transplant.
So, Abby was taken to Lori's Children's Hospital in Chicago, where she underwent surgery. And just before transferring to the Duke Children's Hospital in North Carolina, her life turned upside down.
The Graft-Versus-Host Disease
After the surgery, Abby received many health complications, and a few months later, she contracted graft-versus-host disease. The condition occurs when the white blood cells in the transplant bone marrow begin to attack the person's normal cells.
Abby was now suffering from diarrhea, liver damage, and skin rashes. But her problems didn't end there. In the following year, her kidneys began to fail due to the aggressive cancer treatment she had undergone.
Her Condition Deteriorated
So Abby was constantly in and out of the hospital. But this time, the doctors broke the devastating news to her parents. There was nothing else they could do to save her.
In the meantime, Abby's condition continued to deteriorate, and she had to enter intensive care.
Her Time Was Running Out
Abby required dialysis, and the doctors told her family she had 48 hours left to live if taken off the machine.
Abby's family knew her time was slowly running out, and so they began planning for her death. Little did they know that she would wake up at the very last minute.
A Big Decision
"Doctors told us it was time to let her go. She was only awake for like an hour each day," Patty said.
"We began preparing our other daughters for her death," she continued. And so, Abby's parents made the most difficult decision of their lives to remove her from intensive care and take her home." Soon, they realized they had made a big mistake by bringing Abby home.
A Final Goodbye
They figured it would be best for Abby to spend the last few days at home with her family. Also, her grandparents flew from the other side of the country and wanted to say goodbye to her.
Moreover, Abby's parents started planning her funeral ahead. They had already picked out the flowers, songs, and a casket. However, Abby was determined to stay alive, and soon she would shock the world with her last words to her parents.
She Wasn't Planning To Die
"While we had dozens of people in the house, Abby found a moment of quiet one on one time with us and said with a very soft voice, 'I know I'm supposed to die, I don't think I'm going to yet,' Joe said about his daughter.
Although, this period was especially hard for Abby's sisters. They were still too young to understand what was going on with Abby. But as they soon realized, things were about to take an unexpected turn for Abby.
Talking With The Girls
"We just talked to the girls and told them that we would always be together, or at least our souls would be," Patty said.
But it was then that Abby did something that would shock everyone to the core.
Feeling Better
Abby woke up. And not only that, but she started feeling better. "We couldn't believe it. In a matter of days, weeks, months, she started walking and getting stronger," Patty told People.
Her recovery was an absolute miracle! "The doctors have no idea what happened. One of them told me that in over 25 years, he'd never seen anything like it," she continued.
Everyone Was Shocked
"Medically speaking, Abby should not be with us anymore," Abby's dad said.
Even Abby's doctor, Jacob Welser, was stunned by the girl's sudden recovery. It was his team that told the Furcos to prepare for the worst. And it wasn't too long before Abby said something that would send shivers down their spine.
Her Body Was Shutting Down
"She was very, very sick, and her body was shutting down slowly, and her organs weren't working correctly anymore. And every intervention was just making her worse," dr. Wesler explained.
"We told Patty and Joe there was nothing else we could do. The only foreseeable outcome was that Abby was going to die," he continued.
The Unexpected
"We helped her get home from the hospice care, but when we started backing off, taking away treatments, so she wasn't on so many meds, she started getting better on her own," he continued.
While Abby's sudden recovery jarred all the medical experts, Welser didn't mind admitting that he was wrong on this occasion.
Will To Live
"She's had ups and downs, but if she continues on this path, she's gonna make us all look like fools," he said about his patient.
"She's defied every single odd," he continued. While Abby's doctor couldn't explain her miraculous recovery in a scientific way, he theorized that her will to live helped her to keep going. But what did Abby think about all of this?
So Much Living To Do
While on her death bed, Abby pronounced seven words, summing up her resilience that the Furcos will never forget.
And the proud mom revealed those exact words in an interview with People. "She told us, 'I have so much living to do." With that in mind, they gained confidence in Abby's recovery and even started thinking about her future.
Camp Fantastic
Patty said: "We've stopped asking why she's made this discovery and just started looking to her future."
Shortly after her recovery, Abby got to attend summer camp for the first time in her life. She chose Camp Fantastic, which brings children with cancer together. There, she stumbled upon an amazing discovery.
Fun Times
The children at Camp Fantastic enjoy a whole week of taking part in different kinds of activities.
"I had lots of fun classes, and some of the activities I took part in were dancing and crafting a stuffed toy carrier with duct tape," Abby said in an interview. When she returned home from the summer camp, she started preparing for school.
Back To School
Initially, Abby was home-schooled and had a tutor from Red Mill Elementary School. But now that she was finally feeling better, she couldn't wait to go back to school.
Despite all the obstacles Abby had encountered, she managed to start 5th grade on time. But, would she be able to keep up with the school work?
Learning How To Walk Again
In the meantime, Abby also started going to physical therapy to regain the strength that she lost during her cancer treatment.
So, besides doing homework, Abby also needed to learn how to walk and do everyday tasks again. It was a long, difficult process, but she didn't give up.
Taking It One Day At A Time
"I'm trying to get stronger after being in bed for so long," Abby said in an interview. For her mother, it was important that she was happy given everything she had been through.
"With school starting, we are setting into a routine. We are just taking it one day at a time," Patty said. However, when Abby was strong enough, they had decided it was time to live life to the fullest.
Visiting Italy
The Furcos made a plan to go to Italy. Interestingly enough, Abby fell in love with the country while doing a school project and wanted to visit it someday.
So when Abby thought she was going to die, she was devastated she would never get the chance to visit Italy. Now, her dream was about to come true.
In Italy
Now that she was feeling much better, Abby and her parents flew to Italy to fulfill her dream.
Some of the cities they visited were Naples, Venice, and Rome. They even took cooking lessons in Florence!
She Completed Fifth Grade
Then, one year after Abby was told she was going to die, she successfully completed fifth grade.
She was now in remission, taking steroids twice a day. However, Abby's prognosis was still unclear, and so her future was uncertain. Would she beat cancer?
Enjoying Life
Patty and Joe are aware of how precious every moment spent with Abby is, so they try to make the most of it.
Meanwhile, Abby just wants to enjoy life without worrying about her future. "She just wants to be a normal kid and hang out with friends and go to school. Her zest for life is just amazing," Patty said. Soon Abby would be offered an amazing opportunity at the St. Baldrick's Foundation.
A New Ambassador
Abby became an ambassador at the St. Baldrick's Foundation, a non-profit organization with the aim of raising funds to help find cures for cancer.
However, Abby's life doesn't revolve around cancer. In 2011, she appeared on stage in the school musical Annie Jr.
Her Dream
Abby hopes to open her own restaurant one day where she would be the chef.
"You have to have that perseverance and positive mindset to know that you just have to do it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time, one second at a time, " Abby said in an interview.
Take It Slowly
"You've gotta take it slowly and hope that you can make it to tomorrow," she continued.
Abby's positive attitude had helped her to get through these tough few years. As her parents know, anything is possible when it comes to their determined and hard-working girl.