DOVER, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Dover, Tennessee girl often plays the game "rock, paper, scissors" with her parents in her hospital room to distract her from her cancer treatments. Jessica Hart, 6, was diagnosed with Wilms in 2021. It's a cancer of the kidneys.
Her parents say she complained of stomach aches and after examinations and tests, their worst fears were confirmed.
Jessica underwent chemotherapy which made her sick and she lost her hair, but it worked and her cancer went into remission. However, last month, during a follow-up visit to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in Nashville, doctors told her that it was back.
She has begun a more intense type of chemo that her body isn't tolerating well. She had to be hospitalized for the pain.
Cancer survivor Dana Hall nominated Jessica as her hero because she calls Jessica an inspiration and says she "has so much God in her." Hall says Jessica has already been baptized and doesn't miss church despite not feeling well.
"Jesus helps me God and Jesus can help me again," Jessica said. "Also, I just like to be happy. Mad is not my face. Happy is what I do."
Hall and 4,000 other people follow Jessica's Journey on her Facebook page titled "J-Bird's Battle."
"Something I don’t think we ever mentioned was how blessed we have been by not only one community but two," said Jessica's mom, Emily Hart. "Hopkinsville and Dover both have loved on us and just made us feel like we were not alone in all this. From fish fries to a benefit motorcycle ride. We’ve had childhood friends from elementary school reconnect with us during all of this- I’ve had teammates from my high school and college reach out and reconnect with me during this. We continue to see God’s blessings in the middle of this storm. I’ve had so many people reach out saying their prayer life has strengthened because they have prayed so much for J-Bird this past year. We were in Murray over the summer while in remission and ran into a prayer warrior at Culver’s, J-Bird handles this 'fame' all so well. The lady started crying when she met J-Bird and J-Bird just hugged her, consoling her. This lady had prayed and prayed for J-Bird and there she was getting to see her with her own eyes."
