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Taylor's Hope... The only thing worse then being diagnosed with cancer, is watching someone you love going through it!
"If a mom's tears could heal cancer
you'd be forever cured!"
Taylor ~ Spring 2008
On September 8, 2003, at just 20 months of age,
Taylor was diagnosed with cancer…
She went from your “normal” cute pigtailed
girl who loved to run and play to a very sick but still cute baldy that many of you have come to know and love!
Now, as you might imagine, when we learned of our daughters illness our lives were quickly turned upside down… what we never expected to happen, had happened and we were living every parents worst nightmare! You can’t even begin to imagine the sheer
terror that had run through our bodies and minds… at that moment we just wondered if we would get to watch our daughter grow and blossom, if we would get to see tomorrow with Taylor in it!
It all started with what we thought was just a bad ear infection… one that just lingered on for months… but this latest ear infection was different from the past! It was accompanied by a high fever that even Tylenol couldn’t control, it was accompanied by paleness and fatigue, aches and pains beyond even the doctors control. A trip back to our peds office showed, to our surprise, all clear as far as the ear infection but a simple blood test showed something worse… leukemia!
This is where “Taylor’s Hope” began…
we were on the road to Iowa City, to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, a place we had heard of but had never imagined visiting! A bone marrow aspirate the following morning confirmed our fears… the diagnosis
“acute lymphoblastic leukemia”
All the while trying to adjust to the initial shock of the situation and the reality that cancer was now a part of our lives we found out we were pregnant again! As much as we wanted to be happy and excited, we were scared and afraid at the same time. Our daughter was just diagnosed with a potentially life threatening disease and here we were pregnant again… bringing another life into this world at a time when we didn’t know how we were going to go on but we knew somehow we had to for Taylor!
After enduring one long year of spinal taps, bone marrow aspirates and chemotherapy we found out Taylor had relapsed on treatment on September 27, 2004. Doctors gave Taylor a 20 percent chance
of survival without a bone marrow transplant.
So the search began…
While the search was out for a suitable donor Taylor began more intense chemotherapy to get her cancer back into a remission status and keep it at bay until a donor could be found! The search for a donor was very trying and Taylor relapsed yet a second time… The doctors said without a bone marrow transplant ultimately Taylor would die.
Finally the call came in, just in time for Christmas…
a donor was found!
Somebody, somewhere joined the registry and offered a part of themselves that could save Taylor’s life. Somebody, somewhere gave the greatest gift of all…
the gift of life!
On January 27, 2005 Taylor received this gift and we will be forever grateful for this person who has given our daughter a second chance at life!
We would like to thank everyone who came out to the bone marrow donor registry drive on December 14, 2004 in honor of Taylor on her 3rd Birthday!
Don't forget it's never to late to join the registry and
give the gift of life!
Check out: www.marrow.org to learn more!
Taylor's 1st Day of Kindergarten ~ Fall 2008
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
The Littlest Soldiers
The medals on our chests
Are port-a-caths for meds
Helmets won't stay on
'cause no hair is on our heads.
Our weapons of destruction
We take every day
We fight the battle within us
While we struggle on to play.
We fight with honor and courage
No Marine could do as well
We are only little children
Living in this hell.
So bring on the medals
The Purple Hearts of Wars
The Gold Cross, The Silver Star
To place upon our scars.
For We are the Children of Cancer
No one has fought so hard
But every day we struggle on
Our life is our reward.
Author: Cheryl Jagannathan
Where dreams do come true!
God Sent To Me An Angel
God sent to me an angel,
It had a broken wing.
I bent my head and wondered,
"How could God do such a thing?"
When I asked the Father
why He sent this child to me,
the answer was forthcoming,
He said, "Listen and you will see."
"My children are all precious,
and none is like the rest.
Each one to me is special,
and the least is as the best.
I send each one from Heaven
and I place it in the care
of those who know my mercy-
those with love to spare.
Sometimes I take them back again,
sometimes I let them stay.
No matter what may happen
I am never far away.
So if you find an angel
and don't know what to do,
remember I am with you.
Love is all I ask of you."
-- Author Unknown
"The smallest feet sometimes
leave the biggest prints on our hearts!"
--Author Unknown
Since I will be referring to Taylor's counts frequently I've decided to add a chart of what the normal ranges are:
Hemoglobin 10.9 - 15.0
Platelets 150,000 - 400,000
White Count 4.0 - 12.0
Neutrophils ANC above 1,000
Blasts 0
CLICK THE BANNER - BUY A CALENDAR!
Taylor is featured on the December Page of the Cancer Recognition Calendar 2006 and all profits go towards buying free gifts for caringbridge kids. Taylor and Sydney each received a t-shirt and we encourage you to support this year's calendar efforts if you can.
Journal
Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:15 PM CDT Wow has it really been that long since I last gave an update?
We survived the school year! Taylor will be in 1st grade come this Fall and Sydney in 4 year old preschool!
The girls keep me busy and I can't believe the summer is like half over already! We just finished our first year of teeball for both of the girls and Taylor will start soccor this Fall!
The girls are both at really fun ages now as they finally are able to participate in sports and they are both so eager to learn and excel in everything that they do!
This past weekend we went to Adventureland sponsored by Dance Marathon and we had a wonderful time... thank you Dance Marathon!
Taylor went on her first real roller coaster and absolutely loved it... I think that was the highlight of the day honestly!
We spent the entire weekend in Des Moines and made it kinda a family getaway with my boyfriend and his three boys! Sunday we visited Blank Park Zoo where we saw an elephant show as well as got to hand feed the giraffes... how awesome is that!
It truely was an amazing weekend just watching the kids enjoy themselves despite the chaos of trying to man a five kid army and not lose anyone!
I hope all is going well for everyone... Taylor is doing great and we count our blessings each and every day for this!
Until next time...
Read Journal History
Hospital Information: Patient Room: Home Where We Belong! University of Iowa Children's Hospital
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, Iowa 52442
Links: http://www.cancerwarriors.org/angels.html
Cancer Warriors Angel Network!
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