Former  Actress & Canada’s Top Model contestant and Alliance Entertainment Group Global Brand Ambassador Spokesmodel Natalie Love passed away at the age of 29 after a long battle with cancer.  ,This talented singer and powerhouse beauty had the world at her fingertips as she had become after being scouted by Alliance Entertainment’s Co Founder D-Teflon in the 90’s and took her under his wing.. She quickly became a house hold name in the modeling industry doing various fashion shows for some of the top lines and cosmetic brands in the country and  when suddenly her career was put on hold as she found out she was diagnosed with cancer..

After undergoing chemo this strong stubborn woman fought hard and won and put cancer into remission and stayed out of her system for 3 years but after her round 1 win…the cancer came back to unfortunately take her life just at the verge of as she was about to enter after being accepted to appear in the series Canada’s Top Model the spin-off of Tyra Bank’s America’s Top Model

Natalie stole the show everytime she walked into a room and  She had that star factor, that it factor needed to build a successful career in the entertainment industry. Natalie didn’t take the fight to cancer laying down but she used it as an inspiration to not only educate those about the disease but also to show that just because you have this disease doesn’t mean you have to give up on life and she spent the last several months doing things the way only she knew how to do and that was kicking butt and taking names .

The Believe Foundation Superheroes of Hope was started in carrying on the fight to find a cure for cancer that took Natalie’s life and her goal was to find a cure for Rhabdomyosarcoma

What Is Rhabdomyosarcoma?

Rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a type of cancer that usually develops in your voluntary muscles and belongs to a broad category of tumors called soft tissue sarcomas. RMS can grow anywhere in your body, even in areas that do not normally have voluntary muscles but generally occurs in your head or neck, abdomen or one of your extremities.

A Few Interesting Facts…

* RMS is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in kids.

* Approximately 250 children in the United States are diagnosed with RMS each year.

* RMS is more prevalent in boys than girls and occurs less frequently in African Americans and Asians than Caucasians.

* About 60-70% of patients are less than 10 years of age at diagnosis but the second most common age is early to mid-adolescence.

There are different types of RMS:

Embryonal

These types generally develop in your eyes or genitourinary system (your sex organs or urinary tract organs).

Alveolar

These are more likely to be found in your extremities or the trunk of your body. They are also most often seen in older patients.

Undifferentiated sarcomas or soft tissue sarcomas

These cannot be traced to a specific cell of origin, but are frequently treated like RMS.

What Does Staging Mean?

Once rhabdomyosarcoma is diagnosed, more tests will be done to find out if the cancer cells have spread to other parts of your body. This is called staging.

RMS is staged according to its location in your body, the size of your primary tumor, and whether or not the disease has spread to your lymph nodes or other distant areas of your body.

Staging also takes into account whether or not your tumor can be removed completely with surgery. Your doctor needs to know the stage of your disease to plan the best treatment for you.

Stage I
Cancer is found in your eye, head and/or neck, or near your sex organs and bladder. Your tumor can be completely removed with surgery.

Stage II
Cancer is located in only 1 area (other than the areas in Stage 1), is smaller than 2 inches (5 cm), and has not spread to your lymph nodes. Your tumor can be completely removed with surgery, but there is evidence of microscopic disease at the edges of your removed tumor. Some of your lymph nodes near your tumor also have the disease.

Stage III
Cancer is located in only 1 area (other than the areas in Stage 1), is bigger than 2 inches (5 cm) in size, and may have spread to the lymph nodes found near cancer. Your tumor cannot be completely removed with surgery and you may have some residual tumor.

Stage IV
Cancer has spread and is found in more than 1 place at the time of diagnosis.

What Happens Next?

You will be treated with chemotherapy and, most likely, radiation therapy. The specific medications you will receive depend on which type of RMS you have and the extent of your disease.

If your RMS has spread beyond its primary site or recurs following usual therapy, you may be treated with high dose chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant.

The Good News…
Many teens with this type of cancer are cured and live long, normal lives. Like many cancers, your prognosis for survival depends on the type and stage of your disease. The overall survival rate at five years from diagnosis is about 65%, though if your RMS is located around your eye or in your genitourinary tract (with the exception of your bladder or prostate) then your rate is about 80%. Recurrences after five years are rare.

Take A Look here on just how amazing this woman was and how she is very missed by all those who loved her..

 

RIP PEACE NATALIE DENIS LOVE 1984- JULY 29 2009