Race for Our Kids 2017-Meet Ariella

Soon-to-be-10-year-old Ariella Stein's crutches are decorated with colorfully patterned duct tape and cushioned with fluffy pillow pet animals. Despite all that she's been through, she still wears a smile so beautiful it can light up an entire room.

Ariella's mom, Erica, says her family looks forward to participating in the 13th annual Race for Our Kids event on Sept. 17 because they are so grateful to the staff at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore for the great care and tremendous support they've given Ariella, an avid dancer. It has been a tough year for the family to say the least, but they feel lucky to be in good hands and are in great spirits as they continue to persevere.

In the fall of 2016, Ariella suddenly began experiencing significant leg pain. Realizing it wasn't a minor ailment, Erica and Ariella's dad, David, took her for X-rays which initially revealed a contusion. David and Erica were advised to bring Ariella back for follow-up testing if her pain didn't resolve with rest.

After Ariella refrained from putting pressure on the leg for a few days, it appeared everything was fine again. She would occasionally complain of pain after bumping her leg (as dancers tend to do), but her parents assumed the leg was susceptible because of the previous injury.

Toward the end of January 2017, however, the pain became constant and intolerable. Ariella's leg also had become swollen and red. She went to an orthopedist for X-rays of the leg and an MRI. Within 45 minutes, Ariella and her mother learned there was a malignant tumor on Ariella's tibia. Ariella was referred to Dr. Albert Aboulafia, director of the Division of Orthopedic Oncology at Sinai Hospital. A biopsy showed that Ariella had Ewing's sarcoma, a rare cancerous tumor that forms in bones or soft tissue. She began receiving treatment in March; her ongoing regimen includes 17 rounds of chemotherapy (she is currently on her ninth round).

The Stein family chose Sinai Hospital because they had heard incredible reviews about the high-quality, compassionate care provided by its staff, reviews the family has found to be well earned. They are thrilled with the care being provided to Ariella.

Despite having been in the hospital for nearly the entire summer (the family has slept at home for just a total of 10 days since the summer started), Ariella has maintained optimism through her creativity. She celebrated the Fourth of July holiday by decorating her hospital room with pipe-cleaner fireworks and then watching actual fireworks from the hospital's helicopter pad. Her love for arts and crafts also prompted her to paint her hospital room window.

The uplifting staff and environment at Sinai also help Ariella keep a positive attitude. She loves all of her nurses (especially Jara and Paula) and enjoys the playroom. She is also extremely thankful for the Hope for Henry and art therapy programs that help her pass the time, distract her from the medical procedures, and provide opportunities for her to make new friends. Ariella is so passionate about Hope for Henry that she raised $1,000 for the program through a lemonade stand in her neighborhood. Another highlight for Ariella during an otherwise challenging time was receiving an American Girl doll with a fitted external fixator resembling the one on her own leg from lead physician assistant Renee Hunter and Dr. Jeanne Franzone of the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics.

Although she really enjoys arts and crafts, particularly painting and making bracelets, dancing is Ariella's favorite hobby. She also enjoys musical theater; attending Camp Louise; and playing with her cat, Amelia, who likes sleeping in her specially made Build-A-Bear house. Ariella is looking forward to returning to school and the dance studio.

Please join the Stein family and others in celebrating Race for Our Kids. There will be chip-timed 5K and 10K races as well as a one-mile Family Fun Walk. There will also be a post-race party. All proceeds from the event will benefit The Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai.