Eleanor Gustafson Eleanor Gustafson

Baby Eleanor (Baby Lady) was diagnosed with “Acute Leukemia” on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017. Here is her story: Eleanor is only 19 months old and about two weeks ago we noticed her eyes changed and became puffy like she suffered from allergies. My mom pleaded we take her to the doctor and we manage to get an appointment where the Nurse Practitioner ruled it our as a cold, and allergies. After medications she looked better for a couple days, and three days later her eyes looked puffier, and like someone had put yellow eye shadow over her eyes. I knew something was wrong. I rushed her to the E.R. where did they and x-ray and it was ruled out as pneumonia. That was scary enough. We gave her the dosage of medication and she never improved through the day. Her breathing became a concern and once again my mom asked me to call the doctor. Because I mention to her I was not sure. When we called the E.R. they said to bring her back.

When we got there I thought it was going to be an in and out type of visit. Until the RN mention her how she did not want to concern me, but her heart looked enlarged in the x-ray. They asked to redo the test and I had a doctor come speak to me, about he would like more test. My heart was broken, nothing felt great about the night. Not the wing, not the rain, not anything.

Thankfully mom came and met me while my husband stayed home with our other 3 children who were sick from the flu, and there was no point in dragging everyone out for what was supposed to be in and out. After blood test the doctor said Baby Eleanor was very sick and severely anemic, her heart was enlarge and the cloud in her left lung looked to be something very serious.

While he walked out to get us an ambulance Eleanor did not respond well to fluids and she had a reaction that almost looked as she had just had a stroke. Once again mom jumped into action after I pleaded with her that something was seriously wrong. Baby Eleanor never cries like that and the doctor knew something was wrong and tried to get us a pilot to fly us to the Scottish Rite-Children’s Hospital in Atlanta.

Due to weather conditions that requested was denied, but thankfully a team of paramedics came just 15 minutes later which seemed like 4 hours, but it was just atmosphere in the room. They rushed us to Atlanta where more test were done, and a doctor walked in to share the horrible news. How Eleanor had “Acute Leukemia” and needed to be in PICU until further test.

She has been diagnosed with “T-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia” (T-ALL) and we have a long way to recovery. I will remain the hospital with the baby for the next 4 weeks, and hope to see my other children in husband every weekend as we learned to deal with chemo, strategies that work better for Ellie’s health, and have the strength to be here for each other as we deal with this tragedy. Please pray for us, especially Eleanor.