Johnsburg girl back in action after life-saving surgery
A little more than a year ago, 8-year-old Taylor Radtke felt her life might be slipping away, with an inoperable tumor lodged between the base of her brain and spinal cord.
The Johnsburg girl even asked her mother, Laurie Radtke, if she could be buried in her cheerleading outfit.
On Sunday, Taylor wore her blue-and-gold cheerleading uniform. She was very much alive, competing with her Johnsburg J-Hawks at Spirit Spectacular 2008, the cheer and pom competition held at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates.
With her hands clutching pom-poms and her face lifted by a radiant smile, she pounded the air with her fists and kicked in crowd-pleasing unison with her teammates.
A week before, the team achieved its very first No. 1 finish in a competition at Elgin Community College.
Taylor's father, Lake Zurich Fire Capt. Jeff Radtke, called his daughter's return to cheerleading competition very emotional. "I started to tear up."
Last year, his daughter could only cheer on her teammates, wondering if she would join them on the mat again.
But her fortunes have changed dramatically.
A Phoenix neurosurgeon, Dr. Robert Spetzler, intervened, and in October 2007, Taylor underwent surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center in Phoenix, where surgeons removed a tumor that was one millimeter away from the carotid artery.
Now, Jeff Radtke said, "She goes to school and is a normal little girl," adding that his daughter doesn't have to have another checkup for two years.
Laurie Radtke, who is one of the coaches of the cheerleading squad, said, "It's such a nice thing to hear 'I can't wait (to return to cheerleading),' instead of 'I hope I can.'
"This is her passion. she loves it. She has been doing it for three and a half years."
Laurie Radtke said her daughter embraced cheerleading because heart surgery performed when Taylor was six weeks old limited what the youth could do athletically. "It's something that she can do competitively. If she played soccer, she would never have the endurance to do it."
She said some of the tumor still remains inside Taylor, but most of it has been removed.
Taylor said of her absence from cheerleading, "I missed it." Now that she is back, she is "excited."
Not that her return was easy. Her mother said Taylor has a sinus infection, as well as ear infections, and is on an antibiotic.
Clearly Taylor is appreciated by her teammates and their moms.
"She is so wonderful," said parent Kelly Gasior. "She's very enthusiastic."
Teammate Korbi Fritz said, "She's very kind and sweet. She's a really nice person. I felt really sad for her (when she couldn't compete)."
Eight-year-old Lexi Vesneske, a teammate and close friend, had a picture of her and Taylor on the door of her home and also in a notebook she took to school, while Taylor was in Phoenix, said her mom, Dawn.
"She had a smile on her face the whole time," Laurie Radtke said of her daughter's performance Sunday. "This is what she loves to do.
"A year ago, she was laying in a hospital bed after brain surgery."
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>Earlier Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=249447">Johnsburg girl back in action after life-saving surgery <span class="date">[11/10/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=179277">From worst fears to cheers for Taylor's family <span class="date">[4/25/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=132078" class="mediaItem">Taylor Radtke having the time of her life<span class="moreDate"> [02/10/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=75422" class="mediaItem">Taylor pays surprise visit to fundraiser<span class="moreDate"> [11/11/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=72336" class="mediaItem">New diagnosis for Taylor, but future still bright <span class="moreDate"> [11/07/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=65700" class="mediaItem">Taylor released from hospital<span class="moreDate"> [10/28/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=65112" class="mediaItem">Taylor's recovery going well <span class="moreDate">[10/27/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=65700" class="mediaItem">Taylor released from the hospital <span class="moreDate"> [10/27/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=64154" class="mediaItem">Taylor's 'inoperable' tumor removed <span class="moreDate"> [10/26/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=63514" class="mediaItem">Fear, hope as Taylor's surgery begins <span class="moreDate">[10/25/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=62327" class="mediaItem">Lake Zurich fundraiser to benefit girl <span class="moreDate">[10/22/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=61374" class="mediaItem">The surgeon who wouldn't say no <span class="moreDate">[10/21/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=60269" class="mediaItem">Taylor's surgery next week <span class="moreDate">[10/19/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=59578" class="mediaItem">Firefighters, friends, strangers all help Taylor <span class="moreDate">[10/18/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=59214" class="mediaItem">Column: On a cross-country ride of hope <span class="moreDate">[10/18/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=58783" class="mediaItem">Taylor's trip a dream come true <span class="moreDate">[10/17/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=57970" class="mediaItem">Taylor's smiles choke up dad <span class="moreDate">[10/16/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=57837" class="mediaItem">Editorial: Story brings heartfelt response <span class="moreDate">[10/16/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=57494" class="mediaItem">A dream comes true <span class="moreDate">[10/15/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=57158" class="mediaItem">Wish has Radtkes' riding high <span class="moreDate">[10/14/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=56593" class="mediaItem">Taylor finds doctor to do the surgery <span class="moreDate">[10/13/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=55809" class="mediaItem">You've already done so much for little Taylor <span class="moreDate">[10/12/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=55944" class="mediaItem">Ailing girl's parents buoyed by support <span class="moreDate">[10/12/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=54828" class="mediaItem">Outpouring of help eases pain for Johnsburg family <span class="moreDate">[10/11/07]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=54584" class="mediaItem">McHenry Co. family praying for 'miracle' cure to help save their daughter <span class="moreDate">[10/10/07]</span></a></li> </ul> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=39" class="mediaItem">Taylor's surgery</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=38" class="mediaItem">Visiting the doctor</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=37" class="mediaItem">Special zoo tour</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=36" class="mediaItem">At Sea World</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=35" class="mediaItem">At the zoo</a></li> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=34" class="mediaItem">Taylor goes onboard</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>