Bentlee is seriously the most artistic, crafty little boy I’ve ever met. He can build anything and everything out of play doh.He builds stuff out of scraps and is right on point with them. And he can look at something once and draw it. He has a heart of gold. He loves his little brother more than we ever thought imaginable.
He all the sudden started having random fevers. He had no other signs or symptoms of a “cold”. I’m a stay at home mother so I knew something wasn’t right. I’m with him 24/7, so we went in for lab work. That came back good so they tested him for tick, fever and multiple other things. Everything came back negative. We did this for about three weeks until his white blood cells actually started looking abnormal. When that happened, they sent us to Little Rock to the children’s hospital and we were diagnosed there. I literally knew it was cancer in my gut on the way to children’s. I hated myself so bad for thinking it but I just knew that’s what it was.
He’s in maintenance now so it’s gotten a little “easier” but there are still things he can’t do, wether it’s because of not knowing if his counts are low or medications getting him down. He can’t even jump on his trampoline due to low platelets. His meds sometimes get him down and in a frump. So even on good days when he physically feels good he’s an emotional wreck.
Bentlee and his 6 month old baby brother have to be gone away from daddy a lot due to treatment. I also don’t want him sick since it can cause so much havoc. I am always asking if anyone around us is sick, has been sick, or has been around anyone sick. I take no chances and I realize he has to live his life to the fullest as much as he possibly can but not when it might mean putting him at risk. I am also constantly trying to make people aware of not only his diagnosis but childhood cancer in general. Nobody knew what the orange or gold ribbon meant in our small town! I’m trying my best to change that.
Ethan loves video games, friends, family, and sports. He loves to have people around and he loves everyone!
Ethan was diagnosed with ALL on January 29, 2016.He was sick with a bad cough. He was having frequent nose bleeds and was losing weight quickly.
My sweet Ethan has endured more than most kids his age. He has had numerous spinal taps, hospital visits and stays, and chemo treatments. He has had a few surgeries and bone marrow aspirations. And at one time contracted a fungus due to no immune system. We were told he may not live.
Cancer changed our life, but more importantly changed Ethan and how he looks at life.
Maia is a typical girly girl. She loves singing and dancing and performing. She is starting to get a cute sassy attitude, but has always been a sweetheart. She cares deeply about doing what is right and about other people. She likes unicorns, mermaids, and princesses. Her favorite colors are pink, purple, and blue.
In 2016, she had complained of leg pains for a few months on and off. The week leading up to diagnosis she had very high fevers, which doctors kept thinking was just a virus. On June 6th she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Maia had chemotherapy and she has finished treatment, but is in physical therapy. We are also in the process of having her assessed for learning disabilities. This can be common after treatment.
The two and a half years of treatment completely changed the way we did everything. From times that we ate meals and put the kids to bed to not visiting extended families for the past four years and everything in between.
Owen’s a hoot! He loves puzzles and Star Wars. He wants to be an architect when he grows up. He loves his brother more than anyone else, they recently decided to share a room.
Owen was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on May 23, 2018. It all started with a bowel obstruction in February. This led to the discovery of low hemoglobin and the assumption was he was anemic. When iron supplements didn’t work, and he started having severe leg pain, more tests were done, including a bone marrow biopsy. That confirmed what the doctors believed.
Over the course of the next years we can expect Owen to go through dozens of rounds of chemo, many more lumbar punctures and bone marrow biopsies. It has yet to be determined if Owen will require a bone marrow transplant. Chemo will be given through his central line, orally or intrathecally (straight into his spinal fluid).
Our biggest limitations are financial. Bills are piling up, even with insurance. We can’t afford to do all the fun family outings we used to do. Also, Owen’s little brother misses him being around all the time. It’s hard to see him cry for his brother to play with him.
Overall Owen is doing well, but there have been a few hiccups along the way. We’re so proud of his bravery and courage. He’s simply amazing.
Brooklyn is referred to by others as “Miss Sass.” Her personality is infectious, she can literally suck the air out of a room…in a good way!
In spring of 2017, Brooklynn had a dry cough and fever for roughly a month. Other than that she was perfectly healthy, eating, normal activity. Nothing out the ordinary. It was the end of flu season so we assumed she was just fighting a nasty cold. We were shocked that it was something much bigger and none of us were ready for…Leukemia.
She has received inpatient and outpatient chemo. Dozens, too many to keep count of, LP’s and BMA. We don’t like to give the C word more power than it already has. She’s just regular Brooklynn that goes to see her favorite oncology doctor every now and then.
I don’t think we struggle more than any other cancer family. Of course bills, splitting time between children, marriage whoas- but we made it through the “hard” part. We are all changed. We love differently, literally cherish every moment. Everything is a big deal. I now realize how precious life is and how amazing kids are, healthy and unhealthy.
Jaelynn is shy at first but has a really funny personality. She loves to crack jokes with me (mom). We have become best friends. She loves to play with legos and play Nintendo Switch. She’s very competitive and tennis is her favorite sport. She played tennis before the diagnosis and hopes to start back again soon.
In the summer of last year, Jaelynn started having excruciating joint pain that kept her from daily activities. She was taken to the emergency room and due to a previous illness that was never diagnosed, they tested her for more serious conditions this go round. The diagnosis came back as Leukemia.
Jaelynn has had several lumbar punctures, injections and chemotherapies that are not so fun. She currently has 2-3 appointments per week for infusions or injections. She struggled with the port access the first few months but it’s getting easier now. It’s hard to juggle all the appointments and work but our family has made it possible or us as parents to do both.
Cancer has actually brought our family closer as we look at life a little more precious now. We’ve had to depend on family more now than any other time. All that Jaelynn has gone through these past few months, she has never given up hope and has always remained positive. I think us as parents took the news harder than her and sometimes she had to give us encouragement. She is a true fighter!
