Chandler R. - Quilt Finished in 2007

Born: November 11, 1995

Illness: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Chandler's Story

written by mom Tammy in 2007

Chandler was born on November 21, 1995. He was the second blessing that God had given our young family. His father and I were so proud and excited to enter into this season of our life with now two boys that were only twenty-six months apart. I was sure that this closeness in age would make them forever best friends. Trae, Chandler’s older brother, was about to get a little competition in the best friend category. Chandler would get another brother at only 19 months old. Parker, Chandler’s new little brother, would now redefine the word "brothers" in our house. I have to say that our life was wonderful with three healthy boys and our whole life ahead of us.

As December rolled in and cold and flu season in full swing, Chandler got a cold that just seemed to hang around. I made and appointment for a Friday afternoon at 3:30 just to get this cold checked out before the weekend hit. This December 12, 1997 appointment, would change our fairy tale story to one that would seem to be in a mom’s definition a nightmare tale.

You see, Chandler had fallen a couple of weeks before and his pacifier made a mark or bruise on his little face. This bruise, as well as some others that had come up on his legs, were not going away. After the doctor examined Chandler, I showed him the bruises and expressed my concern. He said that we would do some blood work and see. He didn’t seem that concerned at that time. When we went to the lab to have blood drawn his little finger wouldn’t stop bleeding. The nurse even asked if we had given Tylenol to him. He had had some fever reducing medicine so this did not set off immediate alarms either.

Within the hour, our life would change. His doctor re-entered the exam room and immediately said, “My friends, it’s not good.” He told us that by the blood work he felt sure that we were looking at Leukemia. He had done some of his pre-med work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and had seen this before. He also told us not to drive 100 miles per hour, but we needed to go home and put some things in a suitcase and go then. What were we to do with our other two children? Trae was four then and Parker was only five months. We called my mom, dad, and my sister who all lived very close to help. They took the other two boys, we all cried, and my husband, Chandler and I left for Memphis. By 7:30 that evening it was confirmed that Chandler had ALL (Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia). By 11:30 we were on the second floor of St. Jude.

The next morning Chandler had a Hickman line placed into his chest for administrating chemotherapy. Monday morning the first bag of chemo was hung and started. World wind is a good term to use here. We were to stay for the next two months in Memphis because it would be too dangerous for us to travel home at even eighty miles away. This meant through the holidays too. We watched medicines bring our son to his knees literally. He stopped walking and was so weak that I will say that we were scared. In February, we would start the weekly part of this new journey. This meant that once a week we would travel to Memphis and get a treatment of chemo.

This first round was now over and it seemed that Chandler was getting stronger. Just being around Trae again, helped him so much. He would push himself to get stronger in order to keep up. In June, of the next year the weekly treatment would go back to daily for what they called re-induction. This was another intense treatment time. As you may know, the treatment of these diseases is sometimes as dangerous as the disease itself. After the re-induction part of the plan was over, we went back to weekly treatments until the end of the protocol. Chandler was frequently in and out of the hospital for fevers infections and even once almost died from bacteria that entered his foot through a cut. Fairy tale had now turned into Faith in God.

In September of 1999, Trae would start Kindergarten. In December, we could see the light at the end of this tunnel. Chandler would have his last chemo treatment on June 7, 2000. In December, we would also begin the paper work to bring home our first daughter Elia, from China. June 7, 2000, was amazing. This was a party to remember. This is called the “No More Chemo Party.” Then he was back in the hospital for a couple of weeks for fever with no immune system. This time when we left, it was to begin our life again. Then in 2002, we welcomed our second daughter Hannah into our home. Hannah came from Korea.

In January of 2006, Chandler had experienced a few nosebleeds. This was not unusual for him to have one even once in a while. Then he got another cold. January 11, 2006, is another day that will forever be etched in our memory. While home schooling four of our now five children and waiting on our sixth child to come home from India, we find out that Chandler had relapsed after eight and a half years in remission. He was six and a half years off therapy. This is very unusual for a child to relapse this far out, but he had. Again we would ask, what about the other children? My mom had lost her battle with breast cancer the August before, and my sister with her family had moved to Georgia a few years earlier. Very dear friends agreed to keep our children this time. They went back into school and our life changed courses once more.

With any relapse of leukemia a transplant is usual procedure. This being such an unusual situation it was not sure what route to take. So we began the chemo treatment again and once again moved to Memphis for two months. This time the chemo was harder on him. He experienced more of the side effects from the treatments. It was a different battle in itself for Chandler. This time he knew what it involved and would be required from him. Along with the side effects he had a spot to come up on the top of his arm near his shoulder. This mysterious spot would prove to be a danger in itself. When it was finally determined what the spot was, it had eaten a hole in his arm. It was a fungus that would have to be continually treated in order for it not to spread. When it was felt that it was safe to stop the oral medicine for the fungus, it was stopped. This was not the last that we would hear from this fungus though. It reappeared on his knee one Wednesday on the way to St. Jude. By now we were home and once again traveling weekly for treatments. They restarted the oral medicine this time and we are on it to this day.

Chandler had one other scare on Mother's Day of 2006. He had a fever, an upset stomach, along with no immune system that was almost disastrous for him when the antibiotics hit. He pulled through once again. April of 2006, brought home our third daughter from India. Along side Chandler’s treatment schedule, Sarah had open heart surgery on April 24.

Fall of 2006, Chandler decides that he wants to go to school with his friends. This is now where we are in this journey. Other than a few hospital stays for fever with no immune system, the flu, or sometimes who knows what, he has gotten to go to school only missing his treatment days which is usually on Wednesdays. He has lost his hair twice now during this round, but it is coming in again.

Life is precious. Our family lives for the small blessings of the day. God has and will once again prove Himself faithful in the fight against Leukemia! Chandler and the rest of us are sure of one thing; God is great and God is good! We will thank Him Always!