- M
On November 23, 2018, the day after Thanksgiving, Kellie brought her youngest, Izaiah (2.5 years old), to urgent care because he was pale, weak and sluggish, and she knew something wasn’t right. Their world was then flipped upside down when they were immediately sent to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and Izaiah was diagnosed with leukemia.
While initial tests revealed he had almost no red blood cells or platelets left, the good news is that things were caught in the early stages, as his white cell count wasn’t elevated yet. Izaiah was started on blood transfusions to help stabilize and prepare him for a bone marrow biopsy and port insertion (an internal IV in his chest to receive his chemo, blood transfusions, fluids, meds, etc) on 11/26. He will be admitted in the hospital until at least Friday 11/30, and will start chemotherapy before then as well.
Izaiah’s type of leukemia is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL. ALL typically travels to the brain/spinal cord, the testes, to the inside of the chest to the thymus, or to the liver or spleen. So far, his chest X-ray showed nothing concerning, and Izaiah hasn’t seemed like he’s been suffering headaches and has had no fevers, but he will be undergoing a lumbar puncture/spinal tap within the week to make sure his brain/spinal cord is okay. He seemed to have a lot of discomfort with the waistbands of his clothing though, suggesting his liver and/or spleen might be enlarged from the ALL, but as of now it’s assumed and not confirmed.
Until the bone marrow biopsy on Monday reveals more, the treatment plan as of now is that Izaiah will need to receive weekly chemo treatments for the next 2 years, and then another year of what will probably be bi-weekly chemo treatments. A bone marrow transplant and radiation might take place later on, but again, it all depends on the biopsy results and how Izaiah’s body responds to chemotherapy.
It goes without saying that Kellie and Ryan are feeling the numerous stresses of this situation, trying to split time between Izaiah and their 3 girls at home, trying to figure out how to balance work and keep their income flowing in for their basic every day needs and the upcoming Christmas, and now trying to figure out how to afford all the medical bills for the next 3 years, is more than they can handle, or should have to handle, on their own.
Kellie has been my bff for 23 years now, and she and Ryan have helped me and so many others in the past, it’s time we give back and help them now when they need it more than ever. Please donate, pray, and share to help our favorite little Batman lover get healthy again!
While initial tests revealed he had almost no red blood cells or platelets left, the good news is that things were caught in the early stages, as his white cell count wasn’t elevated yet. Izaiah was started on blood transfusions to help stabilize and prepare him for a bone marrow biopsy and port insertion (an internal IV in his chest to receive his chemo, blood transfusions, fluids, meds, etc) on 11/26. He will be admitted in the hospital until at least Friday 11/30, and will start chemotherapy before then as well.
Izaiah’s type of leukemia is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL. ALL typically travels to the brain/spinal cord, the testes, to the inside of the chest to the thymus, or to the liver or spleen. So far, his chest X-ray showed nothing concerning, and Izaiah hasn’t seemed like he’s been suffering headaches and has had no fevers, but he will be undergoing a lumbar puncture/spinal tap within the week to make sure his brain/spinal cord is okay. He seemed to have a lot of discomfort with the waistbands of his clothing though, suggesting his liver and/or spleen might be enlarged from the ALL, but as of now it’s assumed and not confirmed.
Until the bone marrow biopsy on Monday reveals more, the treatment plan as of now is that Izaiah will need to receive weekly chemo treatments for the next 2 years, and then another year of what will probably be bi-weekly chemo treatments. A bone marrow transplant and radiation might take place later on, but again, it all depends on the biopsy results and how Izaiah’s body responds to chemotherapy.
It goes without saying that Kellie and Ryan are feeling the numerous stresses of this situation, trying to split time between Izaiah and their 3 girls at home, trying to figure out how to balance work and keep their income flowing in for their basic every day needs and the upcoming Christmas, and now trying to figure out how to afford all the medical bills for the next 3 years, is more than they can handle, or should have to handle, on their own.
Kellie has been my bff for 23 years now, and she and Ryan have helped me and so many others in the past, it’s time we give back and help them now when they need it more than ever. Please donate, pray, and share to help our favorite little Batman lover get healthy again!
Organizer and beneficiary
Kellie Herring
Beneficiary