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Family celebrates Christmas every weekend for daughter with cancer

Posted at 4:23 PM, Dec 15, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-15 16:23:25-05

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Neighbors in Virginia Rose’s Chesterfield community have joined the child’s parents in helping the little girl celebrate Christmas every weekend. Virginia Rose, 4, was diagnosed with cancer, Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Monosomy 7, earlier this year, her father said. Doctors said little Virginia’s life would be short.

“They told us in September ‘a few months to a year,'” Virginia’s father Jonathan Vandermark said. “With her little body failing, and with the transition into comfort care at home, we were informed it would not be expected she would make it to Christmas this year.”

Virginia Rose

It was then the Vandermarks decided they would celebrate Christmas every weekend with their little girl.

“Unless there is a Christmas miracle for her, this is her last one with us, and we are trying to give her as many as we can,” he said. “As soon as the neighbors found out, they leaped into action. We have been overwhelmed with the love they pour on us. From our street decorating early with decorations and lights in November so Virginia can have many Christmas nights to angels in the front yard that have come from all over Virginia, and even as far as New Jersey, New York and California.”

Recently, those neighbors asked the Vandermarks if it was okay for them to sing Christmas carols in their front yard.

“I was excited and thought that would be a great idea. Virginia Rose loves music. When they showed up like a Christmas parade of cars, even with Santa and gifts, we were blown away,” he said. “The effort and love that was put into Friday night, was amazing. To see the joy in the kids’ faces, to hear the singing in the yard, and to see the community coming together to love on Virginia Rose was very emotional. This daddy had to choke back the tears. We have a no crying in front of Virginia rule. Friday night was a hard night to keep that rule.”

Follow Virginia’s story on Facebook.

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