Welcome! We are using this to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. • Liam was diagnosed with High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia B-Cell on 1/16/2020 (After being misdiagnosed a few months prior). Due to that, he did not go into remission after the first round of chemo like they expected, which then put him in an “extremely high risk” category of relapse. As it stands, he will undergo treatment for the next 3 1/2 years. • We go to and from Charleston twice a week (give or take) which is over a 4 hour drive back and forth for us. That within itself is hard and inconvenient. While caring for Liam, I also have a 5 year old, as well as a 7 month old at home who are affected by this, too. In the midst of all of this happening, I was let go from my job after being under the impression I was covered by FMLA. With everything happening with Covid, it is virtually impossible to work now without fear of risking myself getting sick and passing it to children, ESPECIALLY him. So working is just not an option now. • On top of Liam being diagnosed with leukemia, he has also developed really bad neuropathy in his legs (now walks with a limp and has drop foot) we also found out he has a Thrombus (blood clot) on his heart that cant be removed via heart cath. So he gets blood thinner injections twice a day (platelets permitting) and we hope it helps, if not, open heart surgery is not off of the table. He has also been diagnosed with osteopenia (very brittle bones) currently has a fractured foot and is in a cast now using a wheelchair. • Back in April ‘20 we were hospitalized for a little over 2 months because Liam developed a severe fungal infection with double pneumonia in his lungs, during that stent in the hospital, he also developed ICU psychosis (basically out of touch with reality) **ITS LIKE GIVE THE KID A BREAK, YA KNOW?!** After we were discharged, we had to move in with my parents because living alone with all of this going on was not an option. • Hearing that your CHILD has cancer is like being trapped inside of a slow burning house fire. Everything in your life is now engulfed in the flames of devastating loss (Jobs, financial security, friendships, family routines, secure relationships and dreams you used to have) And right when you think there’s a room clear of smoke, you finally try to breathe in again, and another flame sparks and you are once again choked out by the smoke. You can never leave this house, you just somehow make peace with living amongst the ashes. Never knowing how long the fire will burn. THAT, is cancer in a shell. •
