Ali is a young girl who loves swimming, dancing, crafts, American Girl Dolls, riding her bike, and playing with her sister. She was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, on July 27, 2020 – a few months into the pandemic. Her mother Susan said that Ali had low energy, a few fevers, and was green in the face for about a week and a half before they took her to the ER. At first, the doctors thought she had Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, from Covid. After a bone marrow aspiration a few days later, they found out that she has leukemia. Ali spent 18 nights in the hospital at the time of her diagnosis and has spent a total of 35 nights in the hospital over the last few years. The “frontline” and more difficult part of her treatment lasted through June 2021, when she began maintenance.
Susan wishes that people understood that childhood cancer is NOT rare. She says that she has learned of so many others in her area in the same terrible club and going through the same thing. She says, “Childhood cancer is something that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, but there will be lots of people wanting to help and lots of great organizations out there…be ready to accept help (even when it feels weird) because you will need it. It’s also ok to let alllllll of the emotions out – I would cry in the shower every night after Ali went to bed. Things get easier over time.”
Susan encourages families of children who are newly diagnosed to ask their team all of the questions they have, even if they seem insignificant or silly. She also mentions a Facebook page for leukemia parents that has been a great help to her family through this journey.
Ali is treated at Nemours in Wilmington, DE, and is scheduled to finish treatment on October 2, 2022! We are so excited for Ali as she celebrates this milestone!
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month. This month we will hear from families who have experience with this often misunderstood disease.
To learn more about Leukemia, visit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
These children are just so brave and inspiring to all. May her (and the family’s) journey forward be full of happiness.