Rylee's Story with Leukemia!
Donation protected
Rylen was a pleasant surprise a few weeks into moms first semester of nursing school. Rylen was born at 37 weeks, 5lbs 15oz, healthy, happy, and beaming from her first moments in the world. She was born in Fort Worth at Harris Hospital SW. She had her first tooth at 3 months, her first word was Mama at nine months, she walked at 11 months. She has always loved tomatoes, to the point where one day Mom accidentally left them in a grocery bag that she could reach in the car, and when they got home the tomatoes were half eaten.
She loves Halloween; if they are driving in a neighborhood at night she asks "going to Halloween yet?" She also loves "Halloween" videos and songs. She's always been an animal lover, with cats being her favorite. She's had two cats Biscuit (RIP) and Baby, and she has three dogs Thelma, Jack, and Teddy. She insists on walking Elma everyday and doesn't rest until that chore is completed. Her favorite things to do are going to the park and shopping. If you take her to the park you'd better be prepared to be there till dark because there is no other way to get her to leave without causing a scene.
She is strong and sweet, she's stubborn but soft, she's smart and resourceful. She's so very loving. When you ask for a hug you get one much tighter then you would expect, and when you ask for a kiss she leans her forehead to you to kiss and grabs your cheeks and gives you a big one. But if you make her mad, she can hold a grudge and not talk to you for at least thirty minutes. She loves to color and paint, and always wants to help even with the cooking and cleaning (we have to make tasks that she can help with because if you deny letting her help she will be mad at you for atleast thirty minutes!).
Rylen got a cold in early fall 2016. We got antibiotics and got better but a cough hung around and we were told it was allergies or possibly early asthma. Through Christmas 2016 and spring 2017 it seemed she was mildly sick every other week. We kept getting told it was a virus, or just constipation, or just allergies; and she kept springing back to normal Rylen after a few days. She had changed schools, and mom's allergies were going crazy so it seemed to make sense and be ok. Then we started noticing small bruises in weird places, her back, the side of her arm, her upper thigh, that just weren't explained by the usual rough and tumble of a 2 year old. I even asked the daycare if a mean kid could have been pinching or poking her. Then we had a "viral" fever for a week, at the end of that they told us she was positive for strept and gave us an antibiotic. She got a little better but on day 6 of it she started coughing bad again and being feverish again so we called for another check up with the Dr... Mom suspected a new antibiotic was needed, maybe some cough medicine and sent Dad and Rylen to the appointment while mom planned to go to work. The doctor had signed off on a prescription for a cough a medicine and was about to send them out when she hesitated and told dad that Rylen "looks a little pale" and that she wanted to run some quick blood work IF he had time. Ofcourse he did and thirty minutes later he interrupted my commute to tell me to turn towards Cook's because it was bad. We were diagnosed with Leukemia that night and a surgery was scheduled the next day to place a mediport, do a lumbar puncture, as well as a bone marrow biopsy. We soon found out she had B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which even on the best course required a 2.5 year treatment plan. We've learned now that the genetic markers of her leukemia are highly favorable and respond very well to treatment with a 95% success rate after the 2.5 year treatment. Right now she is fully embracing every expected side effect for this phase of treatment, crazy mood swings, crazy cravings, uncontrollable hunger, controllable nausea, and her hair is starting to fall out. She required four blood product transfusions the first week and a half but has since kept her blood counts up and her leukemia cell counts are where the doctors want them. She's gaining weight right now but they say future phases will demolish her appetite and possibly give her hard to control nausea so this time of gain will give her a little buffer for future phases.
Rylen has another outpatient chemo session on tuesday 4/18 and then another spinal chemo and bone marrow biopsy on 4/25. The results from that will determine the next cycle of treatment.
June 3rd will be the Rockin' for Rylen fundraiser, at The Rock of Sports and Preforming Arts in Weatherford, TX more info to come! We are seeking group and individual donations and company sponsorships. Through your support and prayer this little fighter will soon shine brighter!!
She loves Halloween; if they are driving in a neighborhood at night she asks "going to Halloween yet?" She also loves "Halloween" videos and songs. She's always been an animal lover, with cats being her favorite. She's had two cats Biscuit (RIP) and Baby, and she has three dogs Thelma, Jack, and Teddy. She insists on walking Elma everyday and doesn't rest until that chore is completed. Her favorite things to do are going to the park and shopping. If you take her to the park you'd better be prepared to be there till dark because there is no other way to get her to leave without causing a scene.
She is strong and sweet, she's stubborn but soft, she's smart and resourceful. She's so very loving. When you ask for a hug you get one much tighter then you would expect, and when you ask for a kiss she leans her forehead to you to kiss and grabs your cheeks and gives you a big one. But if you make her mad, she can hold a grudge and not talk to you for at least thirty minutes. She loves to color and paint, and always wants to help even with the cooking and cleaning (we have to make tasks that she can help with because if you deny letting her help she will be mad at you for atleast thirty minutes!).
Rylen got a cold in early fall 2016. We got antibiotics and got better but a cough hung around and we were told it was allergies or possibly early asthma. Through Christmas 2016 and spring 2017 it seemed she was mildly sick every other week. We kept getting told it was a virus, or just constipation, or just allergies; and she kept springing back to normal Rylen after a few days. She had changed schools, and mom's allergies were going crazy so it seemed to make sense and be ok. Then we started noticing small bruises in weird places, her back, the side of her arm, her upper thigh, that just weren't explained by the usual rough and tumble of a 2 year old. I even asked the daycare if a mean kid could have been pinching or poking her. Then we had a "viral" fever for a week, at the end of that they told us she was positive for strept and gave us an antibiotic. She got a little better but on day 6 of it she started coughing bad again and being feverish again so we called for another check up with the Dr... Mom suspected a new antibiotic was needed, maybe some cough medicine and sent Dad and Rylen to the appointment while mom planned to go to work. The doctor had signed off on a prescription for a cough a medicine and was about to send them out when she hesitated and told dad that Rylen "looks a little pale" and that she wanted to run some quick blood work IF he had time. Ofcourse he did and thirty minutes later he interrupted my commute to tell me to turn towards Cook's because it was bad. We were diagnosed with Leukemia that night and a surgery was scheduled the next day to place a mediport, do a lumbar puncture, as well as a bone marrow biopsy. We soon found out she had B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which even on the best course required a 2.5 year treatment plan. We've learned now that the genetic markers of her leukemia are highly favorable and respond very well to treatment with a 95% success rate after the 2.5 year treatment. Right now she is fully embracing every expected side effect for this phase of treatment, crazy mood swings, crazy cravings, uncontrollable hunger, controllable nausea, and her hair is starting to fall out. She required four blood product transfusions the first week and a half but has since kept her blood counts up and her leukemia cell counts are where the doctors want them. She's gaining weight right now but they say future phases will demolish her appetite and possibly give her hard to control nausea so this time of gain will give her a little buffer for future phases.
Rylen has another outpatient chemo session on tuesday 4/18 and then another spinal chemo and bone marrow biopsy on 4/25. The results from that will determine the next cycle of treatment.
June 3rd will be the Rockin' for Rylen fundraiser, at The Rock of Sports and Preforming Arts in Weatherford, TX more info to come! We are seeking group and individual donations and company sponsorships. Through your support and prayer this little fighter will soon shine brighter!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Tracie Vestall
Organizer
Aledo, TX
Tracie Vestall
Beneficiary
