You never think something like this would happen to you until it happens. I was 18 years old when I had my son (who is now almost four) He showed up 10 days before my birthday and I was a single mom from the start. About 3 months after my son was born I went to college for massage therapy. I moved into my aunts house with my son, and she helped me (babysitting)
while I was going to school.
My son was usually a very happy baby. Around his 6 month mark I took him for his scheduled checkup and vaccinations. Everything was fine and normal. The next day I noticed he was very irritable, and didn't want to eat. He had these spots on his neck that looked like a couple broken blood vessels, didn't think to much of them at that point as he had been crying from what we thought was pain from teething. The next day comes around and he still seems very miserable and wont eat. Upon changing his diaper I noticed A LOT more of those spots on his legs, the ones that looked like broken blood vessels the day before. So I contacted his doctor and was told "if you are worried come on in and we will take a look."
Now heading to his doctors office is when things started to turn for the worst. His doctor looked at his spots, checked his temperature and instantly told me "DO NOT ignore this take this paper go straight to the hospital, I will call them and let them know you are on your way." Okay now I'm starting to worry..... what is wrong with my baby?
We get to the hospital, go to reception check in and are instantly brought to the room. This was the first time I saw my baby calm, but he was so pale........ so lifeless and I still don't know what was wrong with him.! They put an IV in his head, took blood work for tests
Finally they come in and tell us it could be 1 of 2 things, Leukemia or meningitis. At this point they told me an ambulance was coming to pick us up and we were being air lifted to Mcmaster Children Hospital (about an hour away from home and any of my family) All this time I still could not hold my son. He was strapped to a hospital bed while we were brought to the helicopter.
Fast Forward a little, My son was diagnosed with M7 Leukemia (AML) and now was scheduled to start chemo. The type of cancer he had was to be dealt with quickly (they said in a 6-8 month period) I was told not to expect to be able to go home for that whole time even on the weeks he wasn't receiving treatments.
At 6 months old, my son has received more surgery and blood work than anyone I know, and threw almost all of his treatments he danced! It was a long few months but after his first treatment (still needing to finish all 4) they couldn't see any signs of the cancer. He got to go out of the hospital and see outside. Unfortunately that didn't last long because the times we did get released from hospital he would get a fever and have to go back because he was neutropenic (Blood counts were 0 couldn't fight infections by himself)
My son is my hero
I can't believe someone so little could fight threw all of that pain, the medication, the vomiting, so amazingly. All the nurses knew who he was, because his nurses would always talk about how he was always so happy and always dancing in his crib.
On April 17th 2014 we were admitted to the hospital.
On August 18th 2014 was his last chemo treatment.
On September 18th He was aloud to leave the hospital.
On October 8th when we went for his first checkup he was CANCER FREE!
My baby boy is now turning 4 in about a month, and he is healthier than ever.
Love his baby sister and his daddy, and is extremely excited to start school this year and make some friends.
I will always be there for my little man and am so proud of him for fighting how great he did.
I've been told by a few people they would see pictures of him smiling and videos of him dancing and it would help them fight threw their treatments. It's amazing to think how much of an influence, and how inspiring such a young child can be to people.