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The upbeat teen and her father, Eric McGuire, a local computer consultant, received the bad news on Dec. 27, after a regular visit to the doctor for an X-ray.
After receiving the X-ray, they were told by the doctor to go to the local hospital to be seen. Not knowing what was ahead, the two waited for hours until they were finally seen, only to be told that Olivia was going to be transported to Westchester Medical Center.
Within minutes, the father and daughter found themselves in an ambulance and at the medical center where another set of X-rays was taken. All of this time, they still don't know what the problem is.
A short while later, Eric is hit with the news that his daughter has Hodgkins Lymphoma.
"At this moment I felt as if I was hit with a baseball bat," he said.
The duo found themselves at the hospital for the next three weeks straight. Her mother, who has Lyme disease and another illness that makes it difficult for her to see, came a few times, and her twin brother also visited. So the father and daughter became a team fighting cancer.
Unfortunately, it prevented Eric from working, as he soon found himself driving his daughter back and forth to the hospital for chemotherapy treatments or blood work.
Soon, the family had burned through their savings and were in danger of losing their car. That's when they turned to GoFundMe so they will be able to keep their home and the power and water on, Eric said.
"I have never been a man to ask for help," he said. "If need be I would go out and get another job. But I can not leave this little girl of mine. She has told me, 'Daddy, You are my mom and my dad as well as my best friend.'''
Just a few days ago Olivia learned that she will now need to undergo radiation treatment every day for several weeks. Her father is keeping his head up for his daughter, but he's also worried about how they will survive.
"She is a fighter and a child with a huge heart and every inch is filled with love," he added.
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