Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

In October 2015, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I had my first round of chemo then I was hospitalized for three months. I had various complications such as acute respiratory failure and difficulty with incubation. I also experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest for which I required resuscitation and intubation and my heart temporarily stopped for 5-10 minutes.

In May 2008 at nine years-old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I went from being told I had a 10 day stomach virus to being told I had leukemia. The doctors said told I didn't come in when I did, I could of lost my life.

I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia September 2014 at age 13. I had just started 8th grade. First symptoms-to-diagnosis took only four days. I didn’t get a chance to think about things; we were busy trying to save my life.

In 2015 at just 15 months old, Nathaniel started to get sick on a regular basis. He started running a fever and his blood count was really low and we pushed for answers when he wasn't getting better until we were told to go to the Children's Hospital. He was extremely pale, wouldn't eat, and lethargic at this point.

In May 2011, when Kimberly Schuetz was starting to plan her son Austin’s third birthday, he was diagnosed with a high-risk form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In October 2016, after a few months of asymptomatic fevers, joint pain, and extreme irritability, Carson was admitted to the University of Virginia Children's Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Ethan was just five years old when he was diagnosed with very high risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The following years involved countless hospital visits, chemotherapy, bone marrow aspirates, lumbar punctures, steroids, and blood product transfusions.

Ciara and Liliana were born a few years apart and grew up in a happy home with their mother, Heather and father, Danny. I would describe Ciara, age 7, and Liliana, age 5, as always smiling, always playing, always pretending, always hiding and always giggling. Happiness was contagious when you were around them.

In September 2013, our six-year-old daughter, Jordyn was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma— a diagnosis no parent ever wants to hear. Within a day of diagnosis, she already started chemotherapy. Numerous lumbar punctures and blood transfusions soon followed. Our life had changed in an instant.