Jasmine is an energetic, spirited, and endearing young girl. About two weeks before May 13, she began exhibiting signs of paleness, lack of appetite, and disinterest in playing with her siblings. Concerned about her symptoms, I contacted our family physician to arrange an appointment. However, due to the doctor’s vacation, Jasmine wouldn’t be seen until May 19.
Upon returning home from work on May 13, 2024, I discovered that Jasmine had a low-grade fever and several small bruises on her feet, an unusual occurrence for a toddler.
Given both Jasmine and her sister were unwell, I took them to the ER. Jasmine’s sister was diagnosed with a viral infection. The doctor, upon inquiring about Jasmine’s symptoms and the unusual bruising, recommended a complete blood test.
Following the necessary assessment and tests, the doctor returned with the news that Jasmine had severe anemia and advised that she might need to be hospitalized. Confirmation of the diagnosis was pending from the hematology clinic.
In the early hours of May 14, following a discussion with the hematologist, the doctor returned to our room and disclosed that Jasmine had leukemia. I hoped it was a mistake, but it was confirmed, and Jasmine had to be transferred to the oncologist clinic at the children’s hospital. The doctor’s words continually reverberated in my mind, and I was overwhelmed with emotion, hoping it was all just a terrible dream.
The subsequent day was a whirlwind for my husband and me, as we were inundated with information about Jasmine’s treatment plan, including tests, line planning, treatment phases, outpatient clinic schedules, and more.
Thus began our two-year journey of treatment, comprising numerous hospital visits, admissions, lumbar punctures, blood transfusions, isolation, IV chemotherapy, oral medication, and various doses of medication.
Mya is such a happy child. She tries to help in everything she can. She loves to learn and help cook, she recently wanted to start learning Spanish. She laughs about everything. She loves dancing and having books read to her. She loves animals.
In November of 2022, Mya began having fever symptoms which were thought to be a tooth infection, then an ear infection. After an urgent care visit and a PCP visit, however, Mya seemed to be getting paler and more fatigued so I took her to the ER. My mommy gut was saying this was more than just an infection. I thought maybe just extreme dehydration, I just never expected to be given a diagnosis of leukemia for my 5-year-old daughter.
The struggles are that we have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old that have to be at family members’ homes for treatment days or at times they can’t go places like “normal” kids for fear of bringing any small virus home. Sometimes holidays or parties are missed or postponed or even canceled for the same reasons.
We have had to adjust to a new normal where we can’t always attend events or go to parks on the weekends or when they are most likely crowded. We can’t always go to birthdays or have parties like in the past. However we have found new things to do outdoors like buying a projector and movie screen to do outdoor movies or building a goldfish pond and getting hammocks to enjoy mother nature, we have found ways to as they say “slow down and smell the roses.”
She is the strongest person I know, even stronger than me!
Avery was a very healthy and athletic little girl. She was a competitive gymnast and was going to 6 hours of gymnastics a week, she played every sport and loved to be outside. Avery also is a great skier and was skiing three days before her diagnosis. On the day of her diagnosis, she was in school and there were no reported concerns. Avery had random night fevers and some small nosebleeds. She was the girl who would NOT sit still from the second she woke up until she went to bed. She had more energy than any little girl I knew. Avery loved going to school, friend gathering, and being with her family. This diagnosis has crushed her soul and changed her life completely.
We have been at the hospital since her diagnosis, leaving our 4-year-old son with family members. Avery has had several Lumbar Punctures (twice a week) and had a Bone Marrow Transplant. Avery will have several more procedures in the upcoming weeks. We struggle a lot financially, emotionally, and mentally with everything during these procedures.
Avery’s life went from practices, school, play, etc to laying in a hospital bed not being able to move. We have a 4-year-old son who is without his parents most of the week and only sees them once a week. We have had to modify our work schedules to accommodate being in the hospital. We have a long road of chemotherapy, appointments, procedures, long nights, etc. Our lives have completely changed in a matter of minutes.
Avery is strong and is fighting every day and has processed everything better than any adult. She is amazing!
Kali’a was diagnosed with leukemia on November 14, 2023. She had no symptoms at all. We had a 4-month well-child check and we were going to cancel that because we had reservations to Disneyland. But something in us told us to just go to the appointment. Our wonderful Kaiser pediatrician found a lump on her spleen and wanted to do further testing.
After that, we went to Disneyland. The next day we did more testing and right away the doctor called and said to pack a bag and go straight to Rady’s ER and that they would be waiting. I was confused because we had Kaiser. But that’s when we got the devastating news. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I’m 90% sure your daughter has leukemia” I’ll never forget that and those feelings I had.
The leukemia diagnosis for our daughter has shattered the core of our family life. Our dreams of a new baby and joyous holidays were cruelly replaced by the shocking reality of a child battling cancer. Weeks spent in the hospital watching our little one fight for her life meant being separated from our boys, and missing the simple pleasures of togetherness. Financial struggles, emotional exhaustion, and the absence of external support have left us feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Despite the heartache and hardships, our baby girl is doing so well now and that’s more than we can ask. We are blessed to say her brother is her bone marrow donor.
In the fall of last year, I noticed bruising all over Hendrik’s body, he would complain that he was tired, and then I started to notice red dots along his neck. We then learned he had ALL.
Hendrik just finished the delayed intensification stage of treatment and will be starting interim maintenance next week. Hopefully, after this stage of treatment, he will be in maintenance.
It has changed it significantly. Hendrik had just started kindergarten and was excelling. I had to take time off work right after his diagnosis. We are a single-income family. Thankfully my husband is a full-time stay-at-home parent, but with Hendrik starting school, my husband was planning on going back to work.
Hendrik is a great kid. He’s very intelligent and understands everything going on with his treatment. He may be in Kinder, but reads at a third-grade level and communicates well. He loves to tell jokes to make me and my husband laugh and his smile and personality keep us moving forward.
