“Mrs. Anderson, the blood tests are back. Your son has leukemia. You’ll need to pack a bag and head to Diamond Children’s immediately. Be prepared to stay in the hospital for a while.”
With that phone call from my son’s pediatrician my life changed forever. That morning, my life was pretty average with all the same hopes, dreams and fears that other parents have. I had planned to take my 18-month-old son, Jude, to his well child check up then go to work like any other day. As our routine appointment was wrapping up, I pointed out some bruises on Jude’s legs that I had attributed to him being a typical toddler. As the doctor looked at his legs, then felt his stomach, I will never forget the look of fear and sadness that crossed his face as he sent us for emergency blood work across the street.
That was October 16, 2013. The hours and days that followed were something that no parent should have to go through. Once we arrived at the hospital and received the official diagnosis, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, my husband, Aidan, and I had to sign a huge stack of forms consenting to treatment and potential side effects, everything from learning disabilities to heart problems to seizures or death, when just hours before our biggest dilemma was what weekend to go pumpkin picking. Within 48 hours, Jude already had his first of dozens of surgeries and had begun chemotherapy. I’ll never forget lying next to my precious baby in his hospital bed while a nurse in a protective gown and mask hooked him up to the IV chemotherapy.
Each year, 13,400 other parents will have to go through this experience. According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, about one in 300 boys and one in 333 girls will develop cancer before their 20th birthday.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Generally, I’m not really an “awareness ribbon” type of person, since it seems a little obvious in that most people are aware of childhood cancer. So, my goal is to share a few things that you may not be aware of and some ways to help.
With that, did you know?
• That even though the average 5-year survival rate for all childhood cancers is 80%, more than two-thirds of survivors face long-term health problems, including secondary cancers, heart problems, infertility and cognitive impairment. As a cancer mom, this is devastating to know that Jude will most likely have special health needs his entire life.
• Children (and adults too!) with cancers get frequent blood and platelet transfusions. The chemotherapy treatments are effective at destroying cancer cells, but they also kill good cells along with them so transfusions are needed to prevent serious complications. When Jude’s red blood cell count got low, he would start to look ghostly pale and get very lethargic and like birthday.magic, after a transfusion, his cheeks would get pink again and he would perk back up.
• More funding is needed to specifically address childhood cancers. Cancers in children behave differently than adult cancers and need to be treated in different ways. Yet, less than 4% of the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s research budget is directed toward childhood cancers. And pharmaceutical companies fund little if any of kids’ cancer drug development as opposed to 60% of adults’ cancer drug development due to profitability.
So in honor of my son, Jude, and the thousands of kids like him every year that have to endure so much, please pick one (or several) of the things on this list to help:
1. Donate blood and/or platelets! Mark your calendar: on Monday and Tuesday, September 29 and 30 from 2 – 7 pm, the American Red Cross donation center at the Foothills Mall (7401 N. La Cholla Blvd) is holding a blood drive in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Please donate! Call 800-733-2767 to schedule your donation.
2. Attend the Candle Lighting Ceremony for Childhood Cancer Awareness hosted by the Candlelighter’s Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona. It is Wednesday, September 17 at 6pm on the University of Arizona Medical Center Front Lawn (1501 North Campbell Ave).
3. Donate money to research aimed specifically at childhood cancers. St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Alex’s Lemonade Stand are two of my favorites.
4. Be kind! Children with cancer may look or behave differently and often face big challenges to do something simple like attend school. Teach your children to be kind to kids that may be a little different. Tucson’s very own Ben’s Bells organization is a wonderful resource for teaching intentional kindness and offers great ways to get involved.
Fast forward to today, nearly a year later. Jude is now approaching two and a half and is a happy, silly boy who is wise beyond his years. He wrapped up the more intense portion of his chemotherapy earlier this summer and is now undergoing a home-based oral chemotherapy regimen with monthly clinic visits. This maintenance phase will last until 2017. Aside from hair that
is just starting to grow back, you wouldn’t be able to tell everything that he has and will continue to endure.
While life will never return to our “old normal” ever again, we are now navigating our new normal as a cancer warrior family. If you’d like to follow Jude’s progress, please visit: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/judeanderson.
