'We've been given the best gift ever'

There won't be much under the tree at Taylor Radtke's house this Christmas morning.

There doesn't need to be.

"We've been given the best gift ever. How do we top that?" Taylor's mom, Laurie, said. "Every day is Christmas.

"Every day of our lives have a whole new meaning. We were given a miracle. And we don't take that for granted."

A miracle indeed. The Johnsburg family is still reeling from the overwhelming response from friends, family and strangers to their desperate -- and successful -- quest to save 7-year-old Taylor from a brain tumor that had threatened her vision, mobility and life. Initially told the tumor was inoperable, their panicked plea spurred an outpouring of help, support and kindness from across the region.

The response still touches them deeply, Laurie said.

Without it, she's pretty sure she wouldn't have her little girl, whose giggle and love for animals and cheerleading quickly touches all who meet her.

Her parents marvel at having Taylor safely home and they're still astounded at how that happened. After their desperate plea for help to find a doctor willing to remove the tricky tumor, people from across the country reached out, offering suggestions for medical assistance, prayers, and hope.

"Everyone who was a part of it played such a significant role," Laurie said the week before Christmas, adding the total impact of their journey is just now sinking in. "Every single person … what if that first person hadn't sent the e-mail about Dr. Spetzler? Look at how it spread ... they helped change our life and gave us a life with our daughter.

"It took every prayer and suggestion. The role they played was huge."

Within days of the first plea, the family was in Phoenix where Dr. Robert Spetzler and Dr. Peter Nakaji successfully removed the tumor at the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center.

Two weeks later, the family was home.

The miracle didn't stop there. The mother of another young girl, also named Taylor, also with a brain tumor, read of Taylor Radtke as she was on her own desperate quest to find help. Taylor Granitz of Round Lake returned home last week, tumor-free in time for Christmas.

A Woodstock woman was in similar straits. She also read about Taylor, then reached out to the Phoenix neurosurgeon and also just had successful surgery.

They got great support from a family that knows how chilling the journey can be. And how wonderful it is to hear: "We got it."

"All these people reached out to us," Laurie said. "And we were able to help them like so many helped us."

Taylor still has headaches and fatigues easily. Sometimes she can only make it through a partial day at school. And, sometimes, she gets very frustrated with the physical limitations. But for the first time in months, she can play with her friends. And the doctor visits have slowed to sometimes instead of all the time.

Despite losing some of her vision and still facing hearing loss, her prognosis is good for now. Her parents know there is uncertainty ahead, but, this day, they are enjoying what is.

There has been a mountain of bills and many more costs may come. But that's not why there will only be a few presents under the tree this year. Instead, the Radtkes adopted another family to give presents to this year.

"We got so much help. We wanted to pay it forward," Laurie said.

"We didn't know if she was going to live or die. All these people reached out to us and now we're able to help others. We have our daughter. The four of us are together.

"What a miracle has really taken place."