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Brooke Mulford, who likes jokes and Curious George, is plotting the 5th birthday party she hopes to have next month.

"We'll have a pinata," she says, her voice rising with excitement. "Lollipops are my favorite candy."

The Salisbury, Md., girl can't be sure about that party just yet because her immune system is weak from battling neuroblastoma, a deadly type of nerve cancer afflicting infants and young children. She has endured chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, ambulance rides and hospital stays at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for a month at a time. Even so, she's improving, her mother says, and an outpouring of support from people in the Salisbury area is helping provide hope that the party won't have to be put off for long.