“Match”ing Forever

This is the kind of picture behind the name “Icing Smiles:” spectacular smiles encompassing a moment of joy brought on by some specially crafted icing. Sometimes a little icing can go a long way to conceal the painful reality of a child’s life just like it covers the messy crumb coat of a cake. While the photos we receive are just a snapshot, we hope some of the euphoria captured in the its life extends beyond the picture making life a little more joyful for the families we have the honor of serving.

From this photo, you would never guess that five-year-old Audrey is still reeling from the death of her older sister Ava, age nine. Ava had been battling Leukemia from the time Audrey was born, having received her diagnosis just right before Audrey’s birth in 2013. She fought through multiple relapses until she passed away in October 2017.

Through her five-year fight, Ava never let her cancer interfere with being a big sister. She loved kids and was thrilled to have a little sister, so she was especially doting to Audrey. Consequently, the sisters developed a strong bond despite their five-year age difference. The sisters were drawn closer when Ava’s cancer relapsed for the first time and she needed a bone marrow transplant. Against the odds, Audrey was a match! From then on, being a “match” came to define the sisters’ relationship.

Unfortunately, the bone marrow transplant was not sufficient to abolish the cancer, and Ava’s cancer returned again. This time, doctors tried a novel T Cell therapy which, again worked only temporarily. In 2016 Ava was finally declared “cured” after another trial of T Cell therapy, but, once again, the cancer returned and this time she was unable to defeat it.

Audrey, whose life had been defined by her sister’s cancer treatments and their strong bond, was devastated by the loss of her sister. Losing Ava goes beyond losing her companion; she has lost her “match.” Receiving a gorgeous unicorn and butterfly themed cake from Sugar Angel Sara Jablonsky helped make her fifth birthday special and bring out this stunning smile. On her special day, she got to “match” Ava one more time by receiving a cake from Icing Smiles “just like Ava.”