Hayley's Corner

“One joy scatters a hundred griefs”

Hayley Elizabeth Thomson
February 3, 2003 – December 19, 2004

"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like stars for ever and ever." - Daniel 12:3


Hayley's Story
Hayley Elizabeth Thomson was diagnosed with AML leukemia on February 25, 2004, shortly after her first birthday. AML leukemia, the more aggressive of the two forms of leukemia, is acute, fast growing and more common in adults than in children. Hayley was admitted to the AFLAC Cancer Center for her care and treatment. For months, Hayley was a model patient, entering remission by April and suffering little to no side effects from the intense chemotherapy she received. She took hospital life in stride, and celebrated many of her firsts there -including walking and talking. Surprising to everyone, Hayley relapsed in the skin and bone marrow on July 9th, two weeks short of completing her therapy. She was never to reach a solid remission again, despite numerous chemotherapy and experimental protocols. Her relapses were fast and furious, and included cancer hiding in her spinal fluid and stomach. Knowing time was of the essence, we quickly moved forward with a cord blood transplant on November 4th. Hayley received intense chemo and total body irradiation prior to the actual transplant, but it wasn't enough. She relapsed 14 days later, with 23 percent cancer in her blood. On December 19th, Hayley received her much deserved rest and went home to be with her Heavenly Father, cancer-free at last.

To read about Hayley's history and see MANY more pictures, see link at bottom of page.


Hayley's friends and their families need your prayers too:

Ali, Ben, Brady, Brandon, Carmel, Carter, Catie, Chandler, Coulter, Daniel, Ethan, Gwen, Haley E., Jack S., Jack W., Jacob, Jake, Keith, Kylie, Maddie, Mary Grace, McKinley, Merrill, Ryan, William

Children with cancer need blood and platelet transfusions frequently, and often have to wait due to shortages. Please make an appointment to give by calling 1-800-826-2026 or your local red cross.

Are you pregnant and not planning to store your baby's cord blood? Consider donating - it's free and could save a cancer patient's life. Details are available at www.cryo-intl.com and 2/27/06 journal entry.

JACOB IS HERE!
May 29, 2006
6 lbs 3 oz., 18.5 inches


Jacob’s newborn photos are in! Check out the slideshow by clicking here. All photos shown courtesy of AGR Photography (agrgallery.com.) Thanks, Alisha!

Journal

Sunday, June 1, 2008

For us, it was two years ago this past Thursday that the world started spinning on its axis again. That Memorial Day, a 6lb 3oz bundle of adorable baby boy reminded us how to feel joy again and re-assured us that our lives would indeed contain genuine, heartfelt smiles and laughter. While Jacob will never replace Hayley, he is a joy all his own, and has brought more love and happiness to our lives over the past two years than we can possibly express in words. I can honestly say I would be lost without him, and we thank God for the blessing of his presence every day.

I promise a full and complete update soon, but for now, here are some pictures!

First are a few photos from his two-year-old photo shoot with our wonderful friend and talented photographer, Alisha. I am amazed she was able to capture such great shots with a very busy two-year-old boy! You can watch the entire slideshow here (it will take a minute or two to load on your screen), but I posted a few of my favorite shots below.


Courtesy AGR Photography - Our crew



Courtesy AGR Photography - Happy boy!



Courtesy AGR Photography - He still can't ride one, but he sure loves to sit on them!



Courtesy AGR Photography - The best way to walk!

Less exciting are my few pictures from his birthday party celebration! We had a "real" party for Jacob this year with eight of his other two-year-old buddies at My Gym, a local place with tons of equipment for jumping, climbing and general toddler mischief! Thank goodness for video because my camera doesn't capture non-stop motion very well. We had a small family cookout on his actual birthday, when he finally decided he was ready for a party hat!


Hanging on the bars at My Gym



What toddler doesn’t love a gigantic ball?



Jacob is a huge Curious George fan, the theme for his party!



Finally deciding it’s fun to wear a hat!



Is this the coolest toy ever? A bbq grill for kids – one of Jacob’s favorite gifts.



Digging into his cupcake. Hmmm...this looks strangely reminiscent of last year!


Happy birthday, Jacob!!!

Hospital Information:

Patient Room: .......heaven

Links:

E-mail Author: athomso1@bellsouth.net

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Note: The foregoing information was authored by the patient, parent or guardian, or other parties who are solely responsible for the content. Such announcements or their content are not necessarily endorsed by CaringBridge, Inc. or any sponsoring agent.  This information does not confirm that anyone is or was actually a patient at any facility.