On June 18th, 2018, our son Matthew (Matty) was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, the most common type of cancer and leukemia in children. On a personal note, nothing about the word cancer in the same phrase as the word “child” seems common. About 3,000 people younger than age 20 are diagnosed with ALL each year in the United States. At exactly 2.5 years old, to the day, our very happy and very healthy son came down with a high fever and severe leg pain that did not seem to be going away. 48 hours into what we were hoping was just a virus, we went to get his blood checked and received the dreadful news. “Matty’s blood work came back irregular. It looks like there are cancer cells present. Pack an overnight bag and head to the emergency room as soon as you can. Plan for a long stay.” We did just that.
Once it was confirmed that there were, in fact, cancer cells present by a hematologist at our hospital, we began the process of being admitted for our three-week-long stay. One of many to come. Although this new “normal” is as far from normal as could be, Matty has done an amazing job adjusting to our new life. Even though he has to take many medications in the morning and evening — he’s made a game out of it and makes us chase him around the house in order to give it to him. It’s actually a process he enjoys. We go to clinic for weekly chemotherapy, but he enjoys that too — he loves playing with the toys there and enjoys the drive. We got lucky, in a way — he won’t remember the majority of these 3 years of treatment. Being diagnosed at only 2.5 years old has it’s benefits. We’re so thankful that we have an AMAZING support system around us, health insurance, a team of great doctors and organizations like The Gold Hope project that make these tough times a little easier and brighter.
Matty’s everyday is so different from a typical 3 year olds, but this isn’t a sad story. He’s so bravely fighting the fight of his life, and he’s doing it with such grace. He’s our light and strength. We couldn’t be prouder of the way he’s handled the last 6 months of treatment and look forward to taking him around the world when he’s done with it.
Hope session by Simply Liz Photography | Facebook | Instagram