Grace was diagnosed in January 2007 with a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable tumor located in the brainstem, at the base of the brain. Affecting primarily children, it is the rarest and worst of all pediatric brain tumors.  Approximately 150 to 200 children are diagnosed with this type of tumor each year, and survival time is typically just nine to twelve months from diagnosis. Treatment options are limited and none offer a cure. Radiation and chemotherapy can be used in an attempt to shrink the tumor and reduce symptoms, but typically there is renewed tumor progression within six to nine months. There is no known cure for this type of cancer and there have been no advances in treatment options for more than thirty years. After a courageous 13-month battle, Grace danced her way to heaven on Valentine's Day 2008 – just two months shy of her sixth birthday.