VIDEO: A cancer diagnosis is never easy, especially when it's for a child.
For the next couple of years, a little girl from East Troy will battle leukemia, but she won't be doing it alone.
Eight-year-old Mary Schroeder practically grew up in a fire station. Her father, Mark Schroeder, is an equipment operator with the Waukesha Fire Department.
After a diagnosis last November, Mary Schroeder is fighting for her life.
"I didn’t think I was going to lose my hair," she said.
She’s on a grueling treatment plan that will span two-and-a-half years.
"My first nickname was bear," she said.
Her mother, Jennifer Schroeder, said this is because Mary is "fierce and strong."
And she isn’t fighting alone.
Firefighters stepped up in a big way. They’re having a concert at Knucklehead Pub in Eagle on Saturday, Feb. 24, to raise money for Mary.