Madeline Bemiss is an 11 year old with the poise and sensitivity of an adult. When Madeline’s grandmother, Barbara, was diagnosed with a Grade IV brain tumor in March 2008, Madeline and her family witnessed her grandmother’s downward spiral, culminating in death last May.
Many children would have been fearful and repulsed by observing the progressive decline of a loved one, but not Madeline. The experience motivated her to help others who endure similar suffering. For her 11th birthday, she told her family that instead of giving her presents, she would prefer that they make donations to the Mass General Cancer Center’s Stephen E. and Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro-Oncology, where her grandmother was treated.
Last summer, Madeline presented $259.14 to the center, accompanied by her proud grandfather.
Madeline is contemplating her next fund-raising event, a walk in her grandmother’s name around the lake in Melrose, Mass., where she and her grandmother enjoyed many strolls together. She has already enlisted her grandfather to help her.
