# Officer Loses Daughter To Cancer: Wanted To Be Like Dad



## Inspector (Nov 13, 2006)

METHUEN -- Her parents called her "Incredible Madison." 
For four years she fought cancer with the superhuman strength of her hero -- the Incredible Hulk. 
But last Wednesday, Madison Swift lost her battle with neuroblastoma, a very aggressive childhood cancer. She was 8 years old. 
In her final hours, Madison could no longer speak. Her parents sat by her bed at Floating Hospital for Children in Boston, telling stories about all the happy times they spent together. 
They talked about going to the beach, and their pet chihuahua, Diva, whom Madison loved. Many of the stories involved Madison's little sister, Laci. 
Laci, who is 4, grew up only knowing her sister having cancer. When her parents told her that Madison had died, she understood. 
"She said her sister was up with the angels," said her mother, Kim Swift. 
Now, wherever Laci goes, she says: "Maddy is with me. She's my angel. She can do anything with me." 
From the plot at St. Mary's Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Lawrence, where her urn
will be buried tomorrow, a water tower can be seen in the distance. Madison and her father called it "the princess castle." When the light was on, he would tell his daughter that the princess was home. For her father, Sean Swift, the real princess was Madison. 
When Madison's hair began to fall out, he would say, "Madison, some people have beautiful hair. You have a pretty face." 
She did, too, with alabaster skin, big brown eyes, dimples and a perennial smile. 
Madison idolized her dad, who is a police officer in Chelmsford. She wanted to be an officer, too. 
"When someone did something wrong in the clinic, she'd say, 'I'm going to call my father and put you in jail,'" said Cathy McPherson, a nurse at the Floating Hospital. 
Madison was wise beyond her years. 
Once when her oral chemotherapy pills were making her sick, she told a doctor, "I'll see you in court." Her mother was stunned. 
"If you met her, you'd think she was a lot older," said Kim Swift. "Like a 70-year-old woman who traveled the world. She was an old soul." 
One of the doctors said she wished Madison was older, so the two could hang out. 
Madison's many rounds of chemotherapy caused rashes, bellyaches and body pains. On some days, she didn't want to go through it, but she always did, because she wanted to get better. 
"She'd say, 'I can't wait to be a normal kid,'" said her mother. "She knew what normal was." 
In September of 2006, Madison relapsed. Tumors were discovered on both her hips and behind her left eye. 
She took it hard at first. She had to leave her second-grade class at the Tenney Grammar School in Methuen. 
Her hair began appearing on her pillow in the morning. Doctors told Madison that sometimes patients' hair grows back differently. Madison thought she'd look good as a blonde. She got a wig, but never wore it. 
She even wrote a book about losing her hair called Who Needs Hair? 
In June, Madison was given a bone-marrow transplant. Her mother was her match. 
"Everybody thought that was a nice story, a mother trying to save a daughter's life," said Kim Swift. "We really had hope." 
In the end, Madison succumbed to the side effects of chemotherapy. Her liver and kidneys shut down. It remains unknown if the bone-marrow transplant would have worked. 
"We're totally devastated," said Swift. "You always know there's a chance, but we didn't think it would happen. She was so strong." 
In life, Madison was courageous and good-humored. Her natural-born spunk is best reflected in the final lines of Who Needs Hair? 
"I was beautiful with my hair, and I'm beautiful without it," wrote Madison. "I am still wondering about being a blonde, but I think bald is more fun. Just remember your hair will come back, and you're the same with or without your hair."

LOWELL SUN


----------



## underdod47 (Dec 18, 2005)

Madison was a sweet girl she and my daughter McKenna were friends and spoke together often at school helping each other through their treatments comparing their chemo stories. Bless her Bless her family


----------



## Guest (Aug 30, 2007)

That's just awful.


----------



## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

When crap like this happens you cant but help wondering WHY? Why do we lose these innocent children when such scumbags live out long lives inflicting their evil on everyone around them. 
Im so sorry for their loss, I understand the pain so well...different but the same.
Underdod47, I 'll keep you and yours in my prayers.
charlie


----------



## Chree (Mar 14, 2005)

Cancer just plain sucks. This year I rode in my 14th Pan-Mass Challenge (www.pmc.org) which raises money for Cancer research and the Jimmy Fund. As of right now, I have raised about $3500, and the entire ride has surpassed $24 Million. 2008 will be my 15th ride. Looks like it will be "Madison's Ride". I will dedicate my ride to her memory. May she rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family. Does anyone know how I can contact the family?


----------



## lpwpd722 (Jun 13, 2006)

This is just awful. I didn't know her but when I read about her I cried. RIP Madison. Please look out for your mom and dad in family, you are truly an angel.


----------



## Robert35 (Apr 5, 2006)

One of the Hardest Things is to Bury a Child. Cancer is one of the Hardest Things to deal with in our Job. We can take the Calls Etc but to Lose a Child is a Tear Drop that will always be in our Eyes. Our Prayers are with her Family.


----------

