Nicole was 11 years old in 1993 when she was diagnosed with cancer on her spine. After undergoing 28 surgeries in 3 years, she endured paralysis and unthinkable pain. Her battle ended at the age of 14 in August of 1997. 100% of all money raised from our annual fund raiser is used for the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology patients and The Nicole Van Horn Scholarship fund. We are proud to be one of the first sponsors for a new Johns Hopkins foundation for the research and development of bone and soft tissue sarcomas. We are honored to e a part of this endeavor to help children with a special form of cancer. Osteosarcoma, the type in which Nicole had, adds a devastating effect to an already horrendous disease in the form of amputations of limbs. In Nikki's case, her spine had to be amputated while others lose arms and legs.

We are pleased to announce our Trust Fund will be sponsoring "A Picnic At The Zoo," which we have taken over from The Grant-A-Wish Foundation. This is an annual event all the children look forward to since it involves spending an afternoon at The Baltimore Zoo with lunch, cotton candy, kareoke and clowns. This new event will not only bring smiles to those children at Johns Hopkins, but to all the children in the Greater Baltimore Area Hospitals. Your support can aid our growth and help more children have a little pleasure in their day. Even in Nicole's worst of times she always worried about other. She would find a way to make people laugh and take a look at the world around them. Nikki's greatest gift to our family was the knowledge that there is power in giving to others. Anyone who knew Nicole was amazed by her tremendous spirit; she always saw the good in any situation. When told she would not survive her recurrence of cancer, Nicole turned to us and said, "No more tears, they won't help." Nikki's last dat was spend worrying about her brother Michael, whose 16th birthday she was buries on. In Order to help our foundation continue to be successful, while keeping Nicole's memory and spirit alive, we need the help of individuals such as yourselves.