Ollie is a little shy at first, but when he warms up, he is very silly and goofy. He loves to tell jokes and play pranks. He laughs at all our jokes (even bad ones) and likes to make up his own jokes and silly songs. He loves superheroes, paw patrol, sharks, cars, Elephant and Piggie books, pokemon, and video games like Zelda and Minecraft. He’s very adventurous and brave (he’s been jumping off tall furniture since he could walk), but he still wants to snuggle with his blanket when he’s a little overwhelmed.
He was diagnosed with ALL in the spring of 2022. He started limping about two weeks before his diagnosis. He also was very tired, cranky, and clingy. I noticed petechiae on his body and my sister pointed out how skinny he’d gotten.
Ollie has had two surgeries to place and replace his port, multiple bone marrow biopsies, lumbar punctures, and around a dozen or more blood and/or platelet transfusions. He’s done a variety of chemotherapy treatments and has spent most of the past 2 and a half years on chemo. He’s spent around 50 days in the hospital in the past 2 years. I quit the full-time job I had when he was diagnosed and I’ve had to change jobs multiple times to find ones that will cover our finances and allow me to miss days when he’s in the hospital or when I need to bring him to appointments. We’ve all struggled emotionally with this, needing therapy and medication to help with the psychological toll seeing our sweet boy go through this has done.
I feel like I value my time with my kids much more and I’ve become a much more patient parent. My motto now is that there’s no mess too big that we can’t clean up, and I try to say “yes” to as many things as I can because life is so short and precious.
Ollie is the bravest little boy I know. He takes big scary medical procedures that would make any adult worry and does them like they were nothing. He has fought so so hard these last 2 years and we are so proud of him. If he can do this, I know I can do any big scary thing I have to face.
Gracie was diagnosed with leukemia on December 2, 2022, when she was 11 years old. Gracie was a Club soccer player. She started having a lot of pain in her legs and back. First, we thought it was growing pains. But after several trips to the ER when she was in excruciating pain, they started diving more into what could be going on. An MRI of her hips and legs showed she had lesions all over her bones. We were immediately checked into rabies and there for a few days while they ran several tests and within a few days determined that Gracie had leukemia.
Gracie has had the normal types of procedures and treatments that come with a diagnosis of leukemia. She has a port to receive chemotherapy. She’s had bone biopsies as well as multiple MRIs. She’s had 12 or more lumbar punctures/spinal taps. Countless blood transfusions of different varieties. Multiple long-term hospital stays. She developed a vascular narcosis from the steroids she had to take. Thankfully they found an alternative so that is no longer a concern. She’s required physical therapy for neuropathy. It’s been a long road and we still have just over a year ahead of us, but she is in a better place today than she was even just a few months ago.
There are just so many layers of your life that become affected by a diagnosis like this. Gracie has an older brother and a younger sister. They kind of feel like we lived through COVID again in the sense that we had to keep Gracie isolated for so long. my husband and I took turns taking leave from work, which caused some financial struggles. The kids no longer had friends inside of the house, so their social lives were impacted. Our son was able to continue playing baseball and attend middle school regularly for the most part. Aubrey, Gracie’s younger sister, needed to be pulled out of school and some of the indoor activities she was part of such as gymnastics, In order to keep Gracie safe. Aubrey was homeschooled for a year and a half with her sister and even shaved her head with her sister.
Family is always been important to us, but living through something like this makes you appreciate every moment you have, we always look for the silver lining even on the hardest days. This School year both my husband and I as well as Aubrey have returned to full-time work/school. Gracie is still in a homeschool program and supported by family members.
Gracie is an incredibly strong kiddo who has handled treatment with an amazingly positive strong mindset.
Jaysen was diagnosed with leukemia in October of 2023. He had a very high fever for 5 days straight and lots of pain when he walked.
He has had a bone marrow biopsy, a port placement surgery, several lumbar punctures, and weekly chemotherapy. Our family has had to make plenty of sacrifices because of treatment.
We enjoy every single moment that we can to the fullest.
Adriana was diagnosed with B-Cell ALL in May of 2023. She had a fall at school and began complaining of leg pain. Took several ER trips and different pediatricians for a diagnosis.
This has made me appreciate every moment with her. It’s brought me closer to her in ways I didn’t know I needed. We have both learned to live life in the moment.
Emily was diagnosed with leukemia in February of 2019. Emily wasn’t feeling well, and we had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for that day. She just didn’t seem like herself but was only four at the time and couldn’t communicate how she was feeling. She finally told us that we had to go to the doctor now and that’s when we went to her appointment early.
Emily was in the hospital for almost 2 months. The cancer cells were blocking her airway, and she wasn’t able to breathe. We spent hours at the ER that night as they tried to stabilize her. The ER doctor was trying to get a breathing tube in, but it was difficult due to the location of the cancer. She finally flipped Emily on her stomach to remove the pressure from the and was able to get it in.
She was taken by ambulance to another hospital where she received treatment. She was put on a machine called ECMO and was sedated for a while. When that was all resolved she had to learn how to eat, walk, etc all over again due to not moving for a prolonged time. She didn’t talk until we got home, and the doctors couldn’t figure out why. She was on treatment for 2 and a half years (chemo, steroids, lumbar punctures). Throughout that time, she was in and out of the hospital.
Emily has some social issues and learning difficulties. She doesn’t remember much but my husband and I deal with the trauma/memories. We take nothing for granted. We celebrate small achievements and live each day to the fullest.
She always is happy and has a smile on her face even after everything she has been through. She goes now every three months for checkups. She has a doctor’s appointment and labs. It hurts her and she doesn’t like it but is brave every time.
Ellie was diagnosed with ALL in the summer of 2023. Before her diagnosis, she had leg pain, was very tired, and started putting herself to bed at seven. She would get out of the pool after 20 minutes and want to go inside. She also had dark circles under her eyes, pale skin, and weight loss.
She has had a port placed and had a PICC line as well but that is out now. She has had many LPs and chemo treatments, which has become increasingly difficult for us as we both work. We have almost depleted our PTO but we are walking out on faith and believe God will continue to provide for us even if we do deplete our PTO.
This has completely changed everything. The way we go out. When we go out. Where we go to. How cautious we are.
