Grandmother battling brain cancer sees sign of support from hospital room window
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (FOX 29) - A local family made a touching sign in support of their beloved Mom-mom who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer. Some of the kids are too young to visit her, but they wanted her to know they're right there with her during her fight.
Like any great team, the children of three sisters born and raised in the Delaware Valley have uniforms and a team name. Their team name is the "Magnificent Seven" and their team shirts are to support the very woman who came up with the name—their beloved Mom-mom.
While their gear is pretty impressive, the team recently hit a home run at Jefferson University Hospital using only white paper and markers.
Their Mom-mom, Sandy Vanderstine, is battling brain cancer and just received a stem cell transplant. Her family says the hospital understandably would not allow children under age 16 in her room because of her weakened immune system.
Rather than not showing up at all, the Magnificent Seven held up a "We Love You Mom-mom" sign from a window directly above her room, where she had a perfect view.
"We try to all keep a positive mindset because she is the rock of our family and she keeps all of us here, we’re all here because of her," says Colette Weidle, 15. "So, by us showing how much we love her, it’s kind of healing her in a sense because we’re always going to be there with her."
The group also wrote letters and daily quotes for her to open during her stay.
Through FaceTime in her hospital room, Vanderstine told FOX 29 the sign brought her to tears.
"They've been really amazing, they go the extra step, the extra smile," she says. "They're always looking to take care of me and they hold me up when I’m sick, they’ve been wonderful."
Her daughters have also played a big role in organizing support, but they give all the credit to the Magnificent Seven.
"It's them that keep her fighting and keep her going," says Nicole Weidle, Vanderstein's daughter. "I think they’re so appreciative and loving because she would do anything for them."
The family says Mom-mom had a brain tumor removed and received the transplant in the hopes that it will keep the cancer away.
"I know she's going to keep fighting," Weidle says.