The Nihei's: Our Story

On April 1, 2008, our 4-year-old daughter, Lauren, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After her biopsy on April 8th it was determined that she had a bithalamic anaplastic astrocytoma with extension into her brain stem.

In the beginning of March we noticed a personality change in Lauren who normally is a very outgoing and happy-go-lucky kid. She became very clingy and shy. She didn't want to talk on the phone anymore, or play on the slide with the other kids at pre-school. By mid-March, Lauren started complaining about headaches. Her pediatrician thought it might be a sinus infection or that she may need glasses. He put her on antibiotics and we made an eye appointment.

A few days later when she started holding her head funny and her headaches returned we insisted on a CT scan. That's when her pediatrician sent us to the ER at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) for a CT scan, and when our world was turned upside down and our nightmare began...

Story continues at bottom of page

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

This was written by the parents of one of Lauren's classmate.

Lauren was so amazing and brave,
To see her gentle smile again is what we all crave.
Lauren was so special and smart,
Her story and spirit warmed everyone's heart.
Her eyes had a twinkle that couldn't be beat,
She was always playful and ever so sweet.
Thank you for sharing her beautiful life with us,
She was a wonderful student that never caused a fuss.
She had such fun when she was in a group,
Working on projects with the rest of her troop.
Her courage each day was a lesson to us all,
Her heart was so big for a stature so small.
After getting to know Lauren our lives were all changed,
Going to class without her will be so strange.
With parents so optimistic never seeming sullen or blue,
Keeping all of us updated on what she went through.
It is comforting to know she is no longer in pain,
Yet her loss makes us feel like we've been hit by a train.
Although we find comfort in knowing that she has gone on to heaven,
It was much too early to let her go before she was seven.
Even though her time was far too rushed,
It's amazing how many lives Lauren has touched.

By Scott and Tara Agajanian

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