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Alexandria's Angels www.alexandriasangels.com 
Alexandria Nicole Haddock
Alexandria Nicole Haddock earned her beautiful pink-tipped angel wings at 10:20 p.m., Sunday, February 16th, 2003. She left this earth feeling no pain and flew into the arms of our Lord and Savior. At the moment she took her last breath, she was holding the three things she wanted to be holding when she left this earth,
her mommy's hand, her daddy's hand, and moonbeam..."the magical unicorn that could work miracles."
Alexandria Nicole Haddock
August 6th, 1993 - February 16th, 2003
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Alexandria was a very happy and healthy child until the age of seven. After suffering from headaches, nausea, vomiting and bruising for several weeks her pediatrician finally ordered blood work on November 7th, 2000. It was election day and while everyone in the country waited on baited breath to see who would be our next president, a lab technician was counting 1 million white blood cells in my daughter's CBC. An average WBC count is 5-15,000. We rushed her to St. Louis Children's Hospital. Our pediatrician said the word "leukemia" and at the time, in my state of complete shock, I did not even realize how bad things really were. She had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with 11q23 subtype. She was admitted to the PICU where they hooked her up to a pheresis machine. This basically took her blood out slowly, spun off the white blood cells, and was put back in to her. She was in grave condition and they were not sure if she would make it through the night. She did. She got into remission within 30 days and continued with extremely intense chemotherapy for 20 months. The chemo made her immune system non-existant for almost that entire time. She fought several infections in that time period and we were not sure if she would make it or not. She did. On April 11th, 2002, we were moving into a new home. We received a call from her hemonc doctor telling us that a spinal fluid test that had been submitted to St. Jude's per our request, had come back higher than a previous one. Grant and I wrestled with the decision to keep her treatments at Children's Hospital. We were told that we would probably be able to get her back into remission quickly if this was the case and then we could proceed to Bone Marrow Transplant. Uneasy about this major decision, we once again, just like when she was initially diagnosed, contacted prestigous doctors from around the country. Several felt that we should get her to transplant quickly while she was still strong. We should have followed their advice. We had a strong suspicion that relapse was imminent. We were right. Sadly and unfortunately, Alexandria did relapse on July 11th, 2002. It was difficult to get her back into remission. She again suffered from horrible infections that bought her a ticket to the hospital and almost cost her her life. She made it through. She proceeded into transplant with her brother, Hunter, as her donor on October 1st 2002. Her brother Hayden and sister Addison were matches too, which was amazing. She sailed through the chemo, the radiation and extended isolation hospital stay. We felt like we had won. We felt this was our second chance at a healthy life for our precious daughter who had fought so incredibly hard for so long. This was not to be, not God's plan or purpose for her life. Her mission on this earth was completed on February 16th, 2003. She passed so peacefully. It is almost two years ago that she left our arms to go to Jesus'. Not a single day goes by that I don't think about her, long to hear her voice, hold her hand or see that beautiful face. There is a hole in my heart that can never be filled. However, from this trial I have learned a great deal, mostly from my daughter who was always positive and cheery even when she felt horrible. I gained greater knowledge of my Lord and Savior and my faith has grown in spite of this loss.
Alexandria I miss you. I love you, doodlebug. I will never forget you sweet sissy girl. I will try my hardest to make you proud of me, to keep the Alexandria's Angels Foundation going, and to help others as we have been helped.
If you feel compelled to join us in our mission of helping other families affected by childhood cancer, you can donate to the Alexandria's Angels Foundation which is a Missouri 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit. It is our goal to offer smiles and hope to cancer kids and their families. We do this by helping financially with non-covered medical expenses and by giving gifts to our sponsored cancer kids.
Our address is:
Alexandria's Angels
c/o Alison Haddock
241 Chestnut Hill Drive
O' Fallon, MO 63368
or e-mail us at
alisonhaddock@charter.net
www.caringbridge.com/page/alexandriasangels
Friday, April 11, 2008 10:29 PM CDT
First for the good news…it is much shorter (sigh). Ethan Blankenship, www.caringbridge.org/visit/ethanlee , is doing great physically 100 days post BMT, PRAISE THE LORD for that!!! The Blankenship family was ready to move back to their home in Southeast Missouri and unfortunately detected mold in the walls and floors of their home due to the heavy rains MO has had this spring. This would be catastrophic for Ethan. Mold spores can be hazardous to everyone’s health but deadly for a post BMT patient. I am SO thankful that they found it BEFORE they got back home. They are living in temporary housing near their home and praying that it only takes a few weeks to finish replacing all walls/floor/ etc. Dennis and a few friends and family have been doing all the work themselves. Hardly what their family needed at a time when they just wanted to get home and back to a somewhat “normal” life and will be traveling back and forth for weekly check-ups. Please pray that this can happen sooner vs. later.
For the rest of this update,well, no sugarcoating it, it is just sad and hurts my heart to write about. Young local St. Louis mom, Jessica Inchiostro, www.caringbridge.org/visit/jessica , has run out of treatment options post second BMT failure and will be sent home today with homecare. She remains so incredibly brave, strong and even humorous despite being dealt this hand. In her last entry she jokes about regretting spending too much money on Mary Kay wrinkle cream. What an amazing woman she is. It is really true people, you can’t take it with you. Many times I look at our basement and all around our house at Alexandria’s belongings and I have the thought that in the end “stuff” just does not matter. Sure we can enjoy all of our “toys” (big kids and small alike) while we are here on this earth, but possessions really just don’t matter in the long run. So, who really cares about the fancy house and fancy car…certainly more to life when you are reflecting back at the end of your journey of life. Your relationship with God, family and friends are certainly the key ingredients to a full life here, and in the next life, eternity in Heaven. Please keep their entire family in your prayers.
As you know from my last update, Ethan Powell has gained the ultimate healing and has gone to Heaven. His “Going Home” party will be tomorrow in Shreveport, LA. Please pray for Ben and Becky and extended friends and family as they bury their child and endure the coming days and weeks without their sweet baby.
Aven, (www.caringbridge.org/visit/aven ) just 13 days shy of his 9th birthday, made his journey to Heaven this week. Aven is no longer suffering from the affects the brain tumor had on his body, but I am sure he is running freely, playing and eating an endless supply of Krispy Kreme donuts. Please say prayers for their entire family, especially his young sister Claudia.
The sad and shocking news also came this week that my previous OB doctor who delivered 4 out of 5 of my children, passed away unexpectedly in her sleep. She was only 52 years young and leaves behind five children. She moved her practice a few years ago to St. Genevieve or she would still be my doctor today. I trusted Dr. Christine Cernik with my life. Everyone that knew her loved her. When I was pregnant with Hayden, and we were living in Jackson, MO, I still traveled 2 hours to keep her as my OBGYN. I could not fathom going to anyone else. I went into labor with Hayden a few weeks early due to dehydration from the stomach flu. I went to the local hospital where I was being monitored. As soon as I felt a little better and contractions had spread out a little, I had them unhook my i.v. and said, “I have to get to Dr. Cernik in St. Louis to deliver this baby.” Off Grant and I went in the minivan for the 2 hour trip (which we may have made in 1 ½ hours that time) I was willing to risk having a baby in the car…crazy I know…especially since he was our 3rd. She was an amazing doctor, friend and woman. She will be greatly missed. Please keep her husband, mom and children in your prayers as the shock of her passing fades and they continue to grieve.
Yes, my heart is heavy as this has been a week of great loss to the world. Knowing what these families are beginning to endure and will continue for the rest of their lives, I have cried many, many tears this week …but I must continue to hang on to the rays of hope, the slivers of sunshine in the midst of the clouds, and my faith….it is the only way I can survive, for me, for my children.
Read Journal History
Hospital Information: Heaven: In Jesus' Arms
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