Parents Capture Daughter’s Experience with Brain Cancer

[WCCO-TV, March 02, 2011] For two well-known Minneapolis Star Tribune photographers, a picture is worth so much more than a thousand words. Liz Flores and David Joles, of Minneapolis, say it’s the only way to measure their love for their daughter during a time they found themselves in their toughest assignment yet.

Their daughter, Gracie Joles, was recently diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumor, just before her 8th birthday.

“In December, I was diagnosed with a brain glioma on my medulla,” said Gracie. “I had to go radiation every day for six weeks with Saturdays and Sundays off. My last day was Feb. 17.”

On her last day of radiation at Abbott Northwestern Hospital's Virginia Piper Cancer Institute she came with a celebration in tow as dozens of family and friends looked on. And like always, Gracie smiled before she was strapped to the radiation table with a mask. She was ready for her close up.