Meet Kelsey

Kelsey first got sick at 19 months of age. We took her to the ER for IV fluids, and ended up in the PICU for 10 days. Following her discharge, she began seeing a hematology doctor at Nemours for routine labs every 3 weeks. She underwent numerous tests (VCUG, ultrasounds, x-rays, bloodwork...) to identify what caused her to get so sick before. No answer was found. It was decided that a bone marrow aspirate was not needed at that time. One day she spiked a fever. No one was really concerned. She went in for routine antibiotics and what we thought were routine labs. The labs drawn that day resulted in "the call" from her doctor. It was on that day that her doctor went from being her hematologist to being her oncologist. At 22 months of age, Kelsey was diagnosed with Pre- B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She began treatment on June 22, 2010 and took her last dose of chemo on September 13, 2012. Kelsey had her second internal port removed on April 26, 2013. Her counts are improving every month. She will be starting kindergarten this year. She was unable to ever attend school b/c she had a fungal infection in her lungs for almost a year. Oh, and I was 20 weeks pregnant with our son when Kelsey was diagnosed. Our family is "starting a new life". We are learning a "new normal". Kelsey is a childhood cancer survivor, and we are very, very thankful!!

Hope session by Mady Joe Photography