Doctors said she wouldn't live, and if she did, she wouldn't walk, talk, ride a bike or maintain brain function.

Jessica Elam, a 13-year-old sixth-grader at Liberty Elementary, has had three brain and spinal cord tumors.

"She's one of a handful that has survived this long," said her mother, Amy Elam.

The first brain tumor appeared when Jessica was 7. Doctors were able to remove it, as well as the tumor that wrapped itself around her entire spinal cord. Last year a third inoperable tumor appeared in her brain on a major artery. Jessica is aware that she has a 100 percent chance of getting more tumors, even if this one goes away, but she said she is OK with that.

"Cancer is so limited. It can't destroy your faith or conquer the spirit," she said, quoting a poem she keeps in her prayer journal.

Faith is the main reason she and her family press onward, and even when things seem grim, Jessica said she tries to remain optimistic.

"I was never really mad at him," she said of her relationship with God. "If he leads you to it, he'll lead you through it," she said, quoting another one of her favorite sayings.

Her journal also includes a list of things she wants to accomplish.

"I want to get married. I want to go to college. One of the things I wanted was to get the American Girl dolls," she said.

Jessica did get a doll, and she said it looks exactly like she did before she had to take steroids that made her gain 66 pounds in less than two months.

But even that did not phase the teen, who despite the exhaustion that comes with treatments, is busy creating a license plate to raise awareness for childhood cancer. She also is advising architects on the design of patient rooms for the new Liberty Twp. Children's Hospital medical campus.

Jessica has dreams of going on mission trips and becoming a nurse.

"I want to be very Christian-like," she said.

And with a quick grin in her mother's direction, she added, "I want to meet a guy who's very Christian-like."

"Don't tell your dad that," Amy Elam said. "You can't date until you're 30."

Hospital bills are mounting for the family. Every three months Jessica gets a $25,000 MRI. The Elam family also has to pay bills from surgeries, radiation treatment and medication.

Their co-pay is more than $50,000.

Classmate Matt King decided to raise money by selling pens he has carved from wood, using a lathe. It takes him two hours to make each pen. He said the wood and 25 pen kits were donated by Woodcraft, and Matt plans to sell the pens for $20.

Other parents also plan to help the family. Shari Stegmaier, organizer of a March 31 fundraising pancake breakfast, said the event started as a simple community garage sale. But now, she said, there will be games, a basket raffle and plenty of socializing over pancakes.

"They're trying so hard to help themselves and help others," Stegmaier said. "We're very fortunate this has grown into something that will really help the family."

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com

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