Girl with Terminal Cancer Gets Birthday Party, Prom, Wedding Rolled Into One Blowout Event
Lila May Schow, 5, has battled cancer for three years.
— -- An Oregon girl who has battled cancer for years was able to celebrate her fifth birthday in the style of a princess with a blowout event designed to be a prom, wedding and birthday all rolled into one.
Lila May Schow's parents decided to throw the large event after doctors found they were out of options to treat the girl's cancer, according to her father, Ryan Schow.
Lila was diagnosed at age 2 with stage 4 neuroblastoma, a cancer where malignant cells form in certain types of nerve tissue. Her father told ABC News that the girl has gone through grueling treatments for the last few years.
"She’s been fighting ever since," Lila's father said. "It’s been 3 years, well over nine surgeries...numerous chemo-therapies."
He said he and Lila's mother decided to have the big party to celebrate Lila's life on July 31.
"We’re not going to get the prom dance or daddy-daughter dance," said Schow.
After Lila's mother put up a Facebook post about the party they had hundreds of replies. They planned for the party to be Cinderella-themed, since Lila loves princesses.
"We had an incredible outpouring in the community and pretty much in all over the state," said Schow. For the princess-themed party they had special bakers who also appear on the Food Channel and even a donated horse and carriage to bring Lila into her party.
On the day of the big party hundreds of people showed up in honor of Lila.
"You hear so much about terrible things happening," said Schow. "This is one of those instances that people all come together for the right the reasons."
Schow said that Lila loved her party, but that he was surprised when he asked about her favorite part.
"She said she really liked all the princesses and she said 'When my daddy cried b/c he was so happy," said Schow. "We did a father/daughter dance and I couldn’t contain myself."