Kelly L. - Quilt Finished in 2007
Born: October 2, 2002
Illness: Acute Lymphobleastic Leukemia, Down syndrome, congenital heart disease, celiac disease, hepatitis L, hypothyriod, epilepsy, auto-immune disease
Kelly's Story
Written by Kelly's mom Robbin in April 2006
Kelly was born on October 2, 2002. She was five weeks early and was born with an intestinal blockage that required surgery the day after she was born. Next she faced surgery for a club foot. It took three years for her to learn to walk. Frequent ear infections required tubes several times and in December of 2005 her ear drum ruptured, so it will need further surgery. At six months old, she was placed in intensive care for adhesions from her first abdominal surgery and lost part of her small intestine. In February of 2004 Kelly underwent open heart surgery. She has suffered siezures and has to take medication to prevent them.
Kelly's greatest challenge came in June of 2004, when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or ALL. She is considered high risk. She has been hospitalized several times since then, and has undergone chemotherapy first at St Vincent's Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, in Indianapolis, Indiana and now at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
Kelly is in long term maintenance, which is a less intense form of chemo. LTM will last until October 2006. If there is no relapse within five years, she will be considered cured. Hopefully, we will then find that she is truly cancer free.
ALL has a high cure rate and we are praying for the best.
Kelly was recently diagnosed with Celiac disease and autoimmune hepatitis. This means that she will be on a special diet and probably need to remain on chemotherapy for the rest of her life.
She will always be at risk for infections.
The most important thing to know about Kelly is that she is so fun to be around. She is a little stinker. Full of life and personality. She loves to make people laugh. She never stops singing and dancing. Meet her once and you too will fall in love.
