Our journey started when we took our daughter skiing. She had never been before, fell several times, but got back up and kept going. We noticed after that she had some bruises on her body... clearly from the falls, or so we thought. Then we took the family to Disney World. We had a great time, but there were no falls, yet somehow the bruises were worse. We took her to the pediatrician, who, in retrospect, seemed to know immediately what it was. He left the room for a few minutes, asked us to step into the hall, and politely told us that we were expected at Children's National Hospital within the next hour. He couldn't say for sure what it was, but when he listed off several possibilities, the word "leukemia" immediately stood out. That was confirmed with an official diagnosis that night, and we spent the next several months at the hospital.
We are blessed to be part of family, church, school, and professional communities that poured out support for us in a thousand ways. Babysitting, rides for the other kids, food deliveries, mom's or dad's night out, covering for us at work in our absence, creating a fundraising team for Shred for Red...so many of our friends, family, and colleagues pitched in. We were also embraced by the larger involuntary community of people impacted by cancer. From other parents at the hospital coffee breakroom, various charities helping out with all the little things that can mean so much, the incredible doctor and nursing teams, and the resources and research funded by Blood Cancer United, all of this meant so much to us on our journey.
Of course, at the center of all this was Eva, who endured her treatment with courage and compassion. She was constantly making crafts for her friends and family. She loved the nurses so much that she decided she wanted to be one. She loved to play games, became a voracious reader, and was really a normal kid, just one confined to a room for several months. Once she got out of the hospital, she went back to school and was thrilled to be with her friends again. She had lost her hair by this point and tried a wig on day one, but promptly ditched it and embraced the new look.
Eva had a long 2½ years of treatment, but we experienced so much support along the way, and she finished treatment in June 2025. She never let cancer get her down and is an inspiration to friends and family alike!
Ben
Family member and caregiver
