We are raising funds to support Piper Lee Burkett in her fight to beat cancer. On February 21st Piper was suddenly diagnosed with Pre B Cell ALL- Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. This is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.
Piper is 15 years old and the most loving,caring,talented, strong, sensitive, beautiful girl I have ever encountered and am blessed to have her as my daughter.
On the 20th of February 2020 Piper had her second blood test in the morning before school and at 3.30pm that day I received a call from our GP to say “we need to discuss the results and Piper will need to be admitted into hospital that evening .” We arrived at the GP who told me “ results will need further investigations and I’ll sending you to the Queensland Children’s Hospital Oncology Ward in Brisbane tonight.” We arrived in Brisbane at 9pm, was admitted straight away. Further blood tests were taken and at 2 am we were told Piper would have to fast for an operation to have a Bone Marrow Biopsy the next day which took place at 12.30pm Friday the 21st. At 3pm hospital staff came to our room with gifts for Piper, teddy bears, a beautiful quilt and night lamp. At 3.30pm the leading Oncology consultant, another doctor and nurse came and asked us to follow them to a private room to discuss the results, at this point my heart stopped and started to break as I knew it must have been serious. Piper and I sat down and what come next was to change our lives forever. We were told “I’m sorry to tell you but you have Leukaemia!!” I remember Piper asking “am I going to die?” “can I still go to school?” and “ will I lose my hair?” After a lengthy discussion with lots of tears and much of what I don’t remember due to it being the most traumatic news we had just received we were being prepared for Pipers second operation the next day to have a Port-a-Cath inserted under her skin which would be the access point for Piper to receive Chemo, blood tests, transfusions and would remain there for the 2.5 year treatment ahead as well as a lumbar puncture to have chemo delivered to Pipers brain. Chemo was started through the port that same day.
Piper lives with anxiety so all of this has been traumatic and she has had to be so brave to have had no control over any of this.
In the first week Piper had 3 operations, Chemotherapy, the medication has caused high blood sugars so is now insulin dependent due to the steroids, has had 2 blood transfusions and on day 16 we were able to go home although home is now a unit at the Leukaemia Foundation Village less than 10 minutes from the hospital as going back to the Gold Coast wasn’t an option for safety reasons and for the treatment plan we would have to reside close by.
On day 20 Pipers’ hair had started to fall out more noticeably so she decided it was time to cut her beautiful long hair short, this being the only thing she has had any control over these past 20 days.
Piper misses her friends at school, her cat, her bird, her family more and more each day.
The medication come with all sorts of side affects that scare Piper daily. We have been told this is a 2.5 year treatment plan, a long tough road ahead. Piper will need 24 hour support during the expected intensive treatment period (6-9 months) that only Mum can provide with Dad helping along the way.
Piper looks forward to going back to school as before this her attendance record was 100% for the past 4 years.
Thank you you in advance from the bottom of my broken heart for your kind contributions and positive vibes
Piper is 15 years old and the most loving,caring,talented, strong, sensitive, beautiful girl I have ever encountered and am blessed to have her as my daughter.
On the 20th of February 2020 Piper had her second blood test in the morning before school and at 3.30pm that day I received a call from our GP to say “we need to discuss the results and Piper will need to be admitted into hospital that evening .” We arrived at the GP who told me “ results will need further investigations and I’ll sending you to the Queensland Children’s Hospital Oncology Ward in Brisbane tonight.” We arrived in Brisbane at 9pm, was admitted straight away. Further blood tests were taken and at 2 am we were told Piper would have to fast for an operation to have a Bone Marrow Biopsy the next day which took place at 12.30pm Friday the 21st. At 3pm hospital staff came to our room with gifts for Piper, teddy bears, a beautiful quilt and night lamp. At 3.30pm the leading Oncology consultant, another doctor and nurse came and asked us to follow them to a private room to discuss the results, at this point my heart stopped and started to break as I knew it must have been serious. Piper and I sat down and what come next was to change our lives forever. We were told “I’m sorry to tell you but you have Leukaemia!!” I remember Piper asking “am I going to die?” “can I still go to school?” and “ will I lose my hair?” After a lengthy discussion with lots of tears and much of what I don’t remember due to it being the most traumatic news we had just received we were being prepared for Pipers second operation the next day to have a Port-a-Cath inserted under her skin which would be the access point for Piper to receive Chemo, blood tests, transfusions and would remain there for the 2.5 year treatment ahead as well as a lumbar puncture to have chemo delivered to Pipers brain. Chemo was started through the port that same day.
Piper lives with anxiety so all of this has been traumatic and she has had to be so brave to have had no control over any of this.
In the first week Piper had 3 operations, Chemotherapy, the medication has caused high blood sugars so is now insulin dependent due to the steroids, has had 2 blood transfusions and on day 16 we were able to go home although home is now a unit at the Leukaemia Foundation Village less than 10 minutes from the hospital as going back to the Gold Coast wasn’t an option for safety reasons and for the treatment plan we would have to reside close by.
On day 20 Pipers’ hair had started to fall out more noticeably so she decided it was time to cut her beautiful long hair short, this being the only thing she has had any control over these past 20 days.
Piper misses her friends at school, her cat, her bird, her family more and more each day.
The medication come with all sorts of side affects that scare Piper daily. We have been told this is a 2.5 year treatment plan, a long tough road ahead. Piper will need 24 hour support during the expected intensive treatment period (6-9 months) that only Mum can provide with Dad helping along the way.
Piper looks forward to going back to school as before this her attendance record was 100% for the past 4 years.
Thank you you in advance from the bottom of my broken heart for your kind contributions and positive vibes
Organizer
Jan Burkett
Organizer
South Stradbroke, QLD