Keegan P. - Quilt Finished in 2006

Born: June 18, 1999

Illness: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

A Thank you from Keegan P.'s Family!

Written February 28, 2006

I wanted to send an email out to say thank you so very much for the cool beautiful pokemon quilt that was sent to Keegan.  He loves it and it fits perfectly on his bed.  He even drags it to my room in the middle of the night.

Thank you so much.

Love and hugs to you,

Audra,

Keegan the Crusaders mommy

Keegan P.'s Story

written by mom Audra

June 18th, 1999.  What a wonderful day!  Our son Keegan was born.  It took over a year to get pregnant with Keegan, he was like our miracle baby.  His 2 big sisters, Amanda and Ariel just loved him.

Keegan was a sickly child from the beginning because of a milk allergy that we didn’t know about.  He had a 3 day stay at Children’s when he was about 3 months old for an “unknown” cause.  And countless ER visits for allergic reactions.  I know now it was from the milk based formula I had given him.  Normally he nursed, but sometimes I would give him a bottle.  Maybe once a month.  Only 18 months after his birth came his little brother Liam.  They have been the best of friends ever since.

At the end of February of 2003, things started to get different for our family.  Keegan had been getting sick off and on for about 2 months.  He wouldn’t walk because his legs hurt so badly.  He would cry horribly if we didn’t pick him up.  He started to get very clingy to me and his older sister Amanda.  He wouldn't sleep anywhere except with Amanda in her bed.  He started bruising.  He had fevers all the time.  He even once told me “Mommy, I’m dying”.  This statement scared me.

I had taken him to the doctor several times, and they just told me it was a virus.  I even asked for a blood test, and they just told me he would be fine, it was just a virus.  Then on May 9th, 2003, after battling a week long fever, Keegan, who could barely even walk anymore, woke up and ran strait into the bathroom to get sick.  I decided to take him in to the doctor; I figured he must need antibiotics.  He probably just has an ear infection.  It must just be a virus.  How I held on to that word.  Deep down, I knew something was wrong.  The doctor saw how pale Keegan was and immediately ordered Keegan’s first of many blood tests.  He came out 5 minutes later and told us to get to Children’s Hospital right away.  Keegan’s counts were low and he would need a transfusion.  I was in denial.  But I knew.

At Children’s they ordered more blood tests.  Then about 2 hours later, our doctor came in with some nurses.  The nurses distracted Keegan and the doctor said to Mike, (Keegan’s dad) and I, “It’s looking like Leukemia.”  I cannot describe the feeling of despair we felt at that moment.  It was horrible.  That moment replays in my head over and over again.  All I could hear from that doctor was, “Keegan might die”.  It had never crossed my mind that my children could get cancer.  I never thought I would have to hold one of my children down while someone stuck a needle in his chest.  This just wasn’t real.  I figured I must be having a nightmare.  Some “virus”.

Things happened pretty fast after that.  Keegan was admitted and given his first dose of chemotherapy.  He had surgery to put in a port, and he had several blood transfusions.  The worst part of all of this was watching our baby be so sick, and in so much pain and not being able to do anything about it.  All we could do for him was hold him and tell him that we’re sorry.  I prayed to God to please take this away from my son and give it to me.

Keegan has had 4 total hospital stays.  The first to stabilize him, the second for a bad bone infection (he had to have 6 weeks of IV antibiotics at home, (I learned some nurse stuff for that), the third for mouth sores caused from one of his chemotherapies.  He couldn’t even eat during that and he was in isolation.  The 4th he was also in isolation because of high fever caused from chicken pox.

Keegan has been in remission since that first month.  But with Leukemia, he has to go through 3 years and 2 months of chemotherapy.  Right now he is in maintenance therapy and will continue that until July 2006.  We have been blessed with 4 beautiful children, one of them just happens to have cancer.  I know in my heart that Keegan will beat this.  I know he will be part of the 85% that makes it!

Written by Keegan's mom Audra in April 2005

Update: February 2, 2006

My heart is breaking again as I type this.  January 30, 2006 Keegan had his last diagnostic spinal tap to rule out relapse.  His doctor called me a few hours after I got home.  There were 12 cells.  They looked like leukemia.  The special test that they were unable to perform before came back today.  It is definitely the original leukemia.  This is no longer wishy washy.  All 12 cells were Keegan's original leukemia.

We go in on Monday for another bone marrow aspiration to make sure it hasn't had time to leak into the bone marrow.

We will also be starting relapse protocol at that time.  I believe we will go in at 9 am, get an echo of his heart, then do a spinal tap with hydrocortisone, arac, and methotrexate, this will from now on be referred to as a triple IT., then he will get vincristine and donorubicin IV.  We will do this weekly for a month.  He will have 28 days of steroids starting Monday (WOO HOO FOR THE "BIG EAT AND SCREAM"!!).

They will be testing Amanda, Ariel and Liam to see if there is a match, but that is just a back pocket thing.  We are not doing transplant right now.

He is considered Late Isolated CNS Relapse.

I am so sad for Keegan. My heart hurts.

Please keep up the prayers, the power of prayer is amazing.

Love and hugs,

Audra (Keegan's mom)