Where do I start. My 12 year old daughter was diagnosed with an inoperable brain stem glioma on September 27th 2007. That was a day I will never forget. For several months prior, she was complaining of headaches, being dizzy, which I thought was just from the heat living in Arizona. During the summer months we were having car washes every weekend to raise money because Aimee's cheer-leading team was going to nationals and they needed to raise their own money. The doctors were telling us her symptoms were from the heat, and that she was dehydrated, or that she had a sinus infection. So for three months she was taken several different kids of medicine which didn't seem to help her much. After the nationals in August, she seemed to get worse. School started August 13th and she was get sicker and sicker with no answers coming for the doctor. Finally on Sept 4th I took her to the ER. They did a CAT scan of her head and a chest X-Ray to see why she was having a hard time breathing. According to the ER doctors there was nothing wrong with her. They referred me to a different pediatrician. We finally got an appointment for September 25th, during that visit the doctor made Aimee jump on one leg at which time she lost her balance several times. Plus, her kept asking me if there was alcohol in the house or drugs, no I don't drink or do drugs. Then he asked about her school, I said I doubt it because she went to a very good school. Now mind you this is a cheerleader who can do stunts and now she can't even stand on one foot without falling. He referred us to a Neurologist which wasn't going to be until mid October. After leaving the doctors office Aimee became very sick to her stomach. She started to vomit in the trash can outside the office building. I wanted to go back up to the doctors office she wanted to go home and sleep. Later that night she told me that all the doctors are wrong because she had a brain tumor and not a sinus infection. Of course I said no way that can't be possible. The next day Aimee slept and threw up just about all day. Thursday September 27th Aimee woke up and really wanted to go to school even though she wasn't feeling very well. It was picture day and she didn't want to miss it. We rode our bikes to school as we were riding Aimee started to sway all over the rode. I joked with her that she was going to get picked up for a DUI, she said no I am going to pass out. She did. By the time we got back to the house and called the doctor Aimee could barley walk, and she felt so sick. I called the doctor and his nurse told me to take her directly to the Phoenix children's hospital, she was going to call them and let them know I was on my way. As soon as we got there they took Aimee for a CAT scan. Then they came and told us she needed an MRI because the CAT scan showed a shadow. They had moved us to a different part of the ER now and told us that Aimee was going to be admitted for more test and that a doctor will be in soon to talk about the MRI. Well we waited and waited then a young women came in and told me to go over to the other room and she was going to stay with Aimee. The fear that was running through my body at that time, I can't even describe. More to come later.