Supporting Emma

Our dear Emma who is now fifteen years old was diagnosed with an agressive form of leukemia (AML) at the end of January 2015 and was in Sick Kids Hospital for 51 weeks. Within a week of being in hospital she was also diagnosed with diabetes inciptitus and a heart arrythmia condition. She has a serious fungal infection which will require over a year of therapy on top of her four cycles of aggressive chemotherapy. She required a bone marrow 9 to which we have awesome news that she has a match!! She was not eating and requires nutritional iv supplimentation.  She had a septic infection at the end of April which put  her in the icu for three and half weeks.  As a result of the septic infection she  went into cardiac arrest for 25 minutes requiring intensive cpr  that fractured three ribs. Thank God she survived as we were asked that night to call everyone as they fully anticipated that she wouldn't survive.  It was an intense three and a half weeks as she was intubated so we couldn't hear her sweet voice for that time.  She had several heart arrythmias requiring them to shock her heart back into a normal rhythm a couple of times.  To say that those days were heart wrenching is a gross understatement. She is fighting every day and it has been heart breaking watching her go through this.  As a family this has been devastating news and each day has its new struggles and emotions.  After being put off five times, she is set to go for a life saving bone marrow transplant on September 17 .This brings hope but it is a very scary procedure where already three families whose children have gone to transplant have passed away.  Emma is now three years post bone marrow transplant!!! We have been incredibly moved by the support of our famiy, friends, church , school and community.  Through this very challenging time there have been many blessings and victories. Thank you to everyone for their incredible support.