The Coley’s Cause logo captures Nicole’s personality as well as some distinguishing features of Fanconi Anemia.
The silhouette is a picture of Nicole taken at one of her favorite places, on the beach at her Papa & GG’s New Hampshire house on Fourth of July weekend. She really loved to run and play on their beach and go boating with her extended family. The image beautifully captures Nicole’s innocence and free spirit and thus became the perfect centerpiece for her foundation’s logo.
If you look closely, you can see her hypo-plastic right thumb. Disfigured or missing thumbs are a common physical trait among FA children and a key diagnostic feature. Nicole had surgery to repair it once, but it never really corrected. Despite its odd shape, and even though she was right-handed, it was never really an issue for Coley. She was always able to do everything other kids could do – and more. She was nearing a follow-up surgical procedure when she was diagnosed with Leukemia and FA. She never got the opportunity to have it fully corrected.
At her abdomen, you can see a small protrusion. This is her gastric tube (G-tube) button. Nicole needed this so that she could receive the nutrition she needed to grow. It also served as a convenient method to deliver all the yucky transplant oral medications. Implanted at 18 months old, Nicole depended on it until the day she passed. A depressed appetite is also a common FA trait, so many Fanconi children count on G-tubes to keep them healthy.
Of course, the main color for the logo and all things Coley’s Cause is orange, Nicole’s favorite. 