MILES FOR SMILES

Diagnosis: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) high risk

Age at Diagnosis: 3 years old

Current Age: 5 years old

 

Jameson's story, as told by his mother, Amber:

 

Jameson had a low grade fever for three days and had become lethargic and pale. I brought him to his pediatrician, they drew blood because of how pale he was and the doctor informed me that the numbers he saw looked like leukemia numbers.

 

Absolute shock!

 

I will never forget this day. We were sent to CHKD immediately, went to the hematology/oncology clinic and after some more tests, it was confirmed that he did in fact have leukemia. We were admitted for five days to start chemotherapy and have a PICC line placed (he wasn’t well enough to have port surgery yet).

 

After a month, we were informed that he was in remission!!! It was amazing. We had a brutal year of scheduled and unplanned admissions to CHKD. He battled a lot of awful side effects of the chemotherapy, lumbar punctures and being separated from his dad and sister.

 

Today, we go to the clinic once every two weeks for labs, chemo, lumbar punctures and antibiotics. He will continue this treatment until 2020 when he is almost 7 years old. CHKD has been there for us in ways I can’t describe. The staff is amazing, the people you meet become like family, it’s so nice to have a place to trust. I can’t say enough positives about that hospital.