Kayla D. - Quilt Finished in 2008
Born: April 12, 2003
Illness: High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Veno occlusive disease (VOD) 1/15/2008
A Thank You From Emmie's Family!
September 6, 2008
We received the quilt on Thursday and I have to say it is the most beautiful
thing I have ever seen! I love the squares and how it was put together.
What a beautiful gift for Kayla to cherish for years to come.
Thank you so much,
Susan and Kayla
Kayla's Story
Written by Kayla's mom in February 2008
Kayla Alexis was born on April 12, 2003. She was a healthy baby and stayed that way until a bout with croup a month before her second birthday. That required her first Emergency Room visit. She had no other illnesses (except the common cold) until her and her baby sister contracted the Flu and RSV in March 2007. They were both treated with a nebulizer at home and recovered in about three weeks. On June 7, I took Kayla to the doctors after several days of laying in our bed and not playing or eating much. She also had a mild cough. My husband and I thought something just wasn't right. She was also complaining that her ankles were hurting. Her doctor scheduled an x-ray and blood tests that day, because she could not find anything on her exam to explain her symptoms.
I was home with both girls on Friday, June 8th at 11:00 AM when the phone rang. Her doctor was on the other line asking if my husband was home or reachable. She asked if we could come into the office which was about 30 minutes away. I asked that she just tell me over the phone. She said "Kayla has Leukemia and you have to get her to CHOP within 2-3 hours". That was the moment our lives changed forever and we entered the Cancer World. I called my husband, trying to tell him through my hysterical sobbing. He came home and we rushed her to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). We spent 35 days there for Induction.
She was breezing through her outpatient treatment until January 13th. She had a low grade fever for two days. After two trips to the E.R., they admitted her because she was still getting fevers and was complaining of belly pain. On January 16th, she was diagnosed with Veno Occlusive Disease (VOD), an extreamly rare (1%) side effect of 6TG, one of her chemo meds that we were just finishing for this phase. She was in a tremendous amount of pain and her belly was filling with fluid. The fluid started to compress her lungs and she needed to be put on oxygen. That Friday, the Doctors took her to the O.R. and drained about 10 ounces of fluid from her lungs. We remained in the hospital until Thursday, February 7, 2008. We are now home and Kayla is doing well. She will start Long Term Maintenance (2 years) when her counts recover, which we hope is soon. She really wants her hair back and wants to return to dance class.
