Alexa Rohrbach, 11, courage touched lives

Alexa Rohrbach was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer just five days after her first birthday.

She had Stage 4 neuroblastoma that had spread to her stomach, bones, adrenal glands and even the orbits of her eyes.

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Becky Stein/AJC Special

Alexa Rohrbach drives (from left) friend Andy Nicholl, sister Jenna and friend Zack Hoechstetter on a car ride at a 2005 Six Flags Over Georgia celebration for cancer survivors.

Treatment demanded dozens of surgeries, notably procedures at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

There, she underwent a main surgery to remove the tumor and took part in follow-up treatments and an experimental program.

Medical attempts to prolong her life led to complications: pulmonary fibrosis, scoliosis, halo traction and spinal fusion surgery. Most recently she underwent a tracheotomy and was placed on a ventilator.

Relatives say Alexa’s spirit remained strong despite the surgeries, setbacks, therapies and finger pricks.

Her courage inspired her parents, grandparents, friends and medical professionals.

“Our strength is from above,” said her mother, Robin Rohrbach of Acworth, “but Alexa gave us strength, too. She handled life with a smile, without complaints, so I have to handle her death with a positive attitude.”

Alexa Grace Rohrbach, 11, of Acworth died Friday from complications of cancer.

The funeral will be 3 p.m. Wednesday at North Metro Church in Marietta. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Carmichael Funeral Home in Marietta, which is in charge of arrangements.

Alexa liked to play Uno, board games and the piano. She embraced being big sister to Jenna, 7. Like any kid, her favorite foods were cheeseburgers and pizza. When it came to TV, she was a fan of “Extreme Home Makeover” and “Dancing With the Stars.”

The sixth-grader at Lost Mountain Middle School in Kennesaw enjoyed learning, too. She was a perfectionist; her handwriting had to be just so.

“She loved school, but she loved art more than anything else,” said her paternal grandmother, Alice Rohrbach of Marietta. “She loved doing crafty-type things and drew pictures and wrote precious notes for all of us on our birthdays. She touched lives in ways that she was too young to comprehend, and in ways that I think Chris and Robin are just now beginning to understand.”

Additional survivors include her father, Chris Rohrbach of Acworth, and her maternal grandparents, Robert and Jean Thoem of Marietta.