Sweet Savanna’s Relief Fund - GOAL: 2B CANCER FREE
Spende geschützt
Meet Savanna, my beautiful and courageous daughter.
She came into the world with her twin brother, Alex, 13 1/2 years ago, followed by her 7 year old sister, Cecelia.
Savanna was diagnosed with Leukemia just days ago.
This is her story.
Christmas break was finally here. Two weeks of no school and presents soon to be had, Savanna just didn’t seem quite herself. Walking up the stairs from our basement made her heart race, and she would constantly say she was tired.
The first snowfall left our backyard a sledding haven, only to be enjoyed for a brief time because she “just felt exhausted”. Sleeping in went from 10am to noon, with troubles waking her up. I figured it’s Christmas break, let her enjoy some rest.
The New Year came and passed, and the kids returned to school. Within the first week of returning, I received a call from the school nurse. She wanted to inform me of an incident Savanna had during her first hour P.E. She became weak and dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous. The nurse said she checked her blood pressure and it appeared low. She just wanted me to know.
During the next week Savanna complained of a couple of headaches and again, being tired. Around this time she brought to my attention hundreds of little red pin-dots from the tops of her feet and covering her legs up to her knees. My thoughts were maybe something viral and she’s fighting an infection.
I got another call from the nurse at school about a week from the last episode. Again, Savanna was near passing out during P.E. She suggested, and I concurred, a pediatrician visit was needed.
I called the pediatrician’s office, indicating her symptoms of headaches, dizziness, nausea, rapid heart racing and a rash.
On January 15th, Savanna’s pediatrician examined her. He explains to us the dizziness and heart rate and low blood pressure comes from orthostatic hypotension. Tells us to change her diet in the mornings, drink plenty more water, and carry on.
As he is about to wrap up the visit, I asked him what about the rash. He proceeded to lift her pants to inspect her legs, and saw the hundreds of little red dots covering them. He indicated the medical term for this as Petechiae. He says it comes from straining. I told him no injuries have occurred and found it odd to be on both of her legs. He said we will keep an eye on it and not to search out the google doctor because I’ll be worried sick.
Our visit was over.
Throughout the next week we tried to change her breakfast diet a little, bought her a Tervis water bottle, and went about life.
Another call from the school nurse on January 24th left me calling the pediatrician and stating my concerns as well as the school nurse’s, about the dismissed rash and other continued symptoms.
I received a call back from the pediatrician’s office, and was told that the doctor has ordered an EKG to be done on Savanna, then we will go from there. No appointment or urgency, just walk into the hospital when you are able, and once they have the results they will follow up.
The next 48 hours were a series of events that took place that will make an unbeliever rethink their doubts about divine intervention.
I was to be boarding a plane for takeoff to Florida on Friday, January 25th, 8:15am. In the early hours of this morning, I came down with a vile bout of a stomach bug, vomiting and such, and unable to move out of bed to get ready for my flight. My trip was cancelled.
The kids felt so terribly for me, as they knew I was looking forward to this trip for sometime. I assured them I wasn’t disappointed, and would just spend the weekend with them since I didn’t have to work.
I noticed Savanna not feeling particularly well. She was warm with a fever and complained of her throat hurting. I was glad that I had been unable to fly, and to be home with her knowing she was now sick.
Saturday morning came around and we all got to enjoy the rarity of sleeping in. By 10:30, we were all awake with the exception of Savanna. I went to check on her and she felt hot, and complained of an even worse sore throat.
My other children and I continued on with our Saturday morning chores. Around 1pm I decided to check her fever. It was 102.5°.
Savanna, her sister, and I entered Anderson emergency room at the recommendation from our insurance, around 4:30. They swabbed her for the suspected strep throat I was sure she had.
We waited patiently for the ER pediatrician to come in. When he did, he informs us the strep culture came back negative. Weird, I thought. He proceeds to examine her. Her spleen was enlarged, she had a heart murmur, and appeared anemic. He asked if I’ve heard this before about the heart murmur. I told him no, and that her pediatrician said nothing of the sort 10 days prior.
He continues to order lab work and other tests. The whole works. I’m thankful he’s being thorough while we are there.
About an hour passed and the pediatrician returned. His grim look was no different than at our introduction. He sits down on the swivel stool and says he has bad news. With my daughters and myself all ears, his next sentence is one I have never imagined would be spoken to me.
It looks like leukemia.
With uncontrollable shaking and the sound of Savanna’s voice in the background repeating “am I going to die”, all I could think was “please, God, give me the words to say to her to bring her peace and comfort, and assure her she has a long life to live”.
It is incomprehensible how one will respond to a traumatic turn of events. Only until it stabs you in the heart, will you know you’re true strengths and weaknesses.
Savanna is a fighter. She always has been, and I’m pretty positive always will be. She fights with me. She fights with her twin brother. She fights with her little sister. Sometimes she fights with her friends. She is fighting this cancer to the end.
And she will win.
Backstory:
Three years ago to this past month of January, our family had been displaced. What my children knew as the perfect family life was stripped from them in an instant.
Addiction took their father out of our lives, losing our home, our vehicles, our dear neighbors and friends, and everything we knew as our normal.
Moving back to my home state to be helped by my family meant leaving their friends, starting a new school, and trying to start life over again, but without their father.
Multiple attempts of his recovery and relapse have left my children fully reliant upon me. I wouldn’t have it otherwise.
I’ve stepped away from my employment for the time being, to be by her bedside night and day. With the help of dear family and friends, we are fighting this battle with her.
I am setting up relief funds for her and her up-and-coming medical expenses, as well as travel expenses, child care, food, and living assistance, as I am hers and her 2 siblings’ sole provider and care taker during this endeavor.
Help us in supporting Savanna along the way with this journey to heal her and help reach our goal, 2B CANCER FREE!!!
We’ve come too far to let this little thing called cancer stand in our way. We’ve initiated this fund for the sake of my daughter’s recently diagnosed leukemia, as well as our family’s wellbeing.
We are at the infant stages of this process known as chemotherapy. I know the outpouring of love and support we’ve received in just a few short days has been overwhelming, and continues to be so.
We know there’s a journey ahead of all of us for Savanna, which includes herself, her brother, sister, myself, and the dear family and friends that help and support us.
Alleviating some of the financial obligations during our endeavor would make this that much less worrisome and fearful.
We MORE than appreciate the support, love, aide, and prayers that pour in for Savanna and our family.
Please follow us on our Caring Bridge account that will be up and running hopefully no later than February 8th, 2019.
With so much love, thank you ❤️
She came into the world with her twin brother, Alex, 13 1/2 years ago, followed by her 7 year old sister, Cecelia.
Savanna was diagnosed with Leukemia just days ago.
This is her story.
Christmas break was finally here. Two weeks of no school and presents soon to be had, Savanna just didn’t seem quite herself. Walking up the stairs from our basement made her heart race, and she would constantly say she was tired.
The first snowfall left our backyard a sledding haven, only to be enjoyed for a brief time because she “just felt exhausted”. Sleeping in went from 10am to noon, with troubles waking her up. I figured it’s Christmas break, let her enjoy some rest.
The New Year came and passed, and the kids returned to school. Within the first week of returning, I received a call from the school nurse. She wanted to inform me of an incident Savanna had during her first hour P.E. She became weak and dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous. The nurse said she checked her blood pressure and it appeared low. She just wanted me to know.
During the next week Savanna complained of a couple of headaches and again, being tired. Around this time she brought to my attention hundreds of little red pin-dots from the tops of her feet and covering her legs up to her knees. My thoughts were maybe something viral and she’s fighting an infection.
I got another call from the nurse at school about a week from the last episode. Again, Savanna was near passing out during P.E. She suggested, and I concurred, a pediatrician visit was needed.
I called the pediatrician’s office, indicating her symptoms of headaches, dizziness, nausea, rapid heart racing and a rash.
On January 15th, Savanna’s pediatrician examined her. He explains to us the dizziness and heart rate and low blood pressure comes from orthostatic hypotension. Tells us to change her diet in the mornings, drink plenty more water, and carry on.
As he is about to wrap up the visit, I asked him what about the rash. He proceeded to lift her pants to inspect her legs, and saw the hundreds of little red dots covering them. He indicated the medical term for this as Petechiae. He says it comes from straining. I told him no injuries have occurred and found it odd to be on both of her legs. He said we will keep an eye on it and not to search out the google doctor because I’ll be worried sick.
Our visit was over.
Throughout the next week we tried to change her breakfast diet a little, bought her a Tervis water bottle, and went about life.
Another call from the school nurse on January 24th left me calling the pediatrician and stating my concerns as well as the school nurse’s, about the dismissed rash and other continued symptoms.
I received a call back from the pediatrician’s office, and was told that the doctor has ordered an EKG to be done on Savanna, then we will go from there. No appointment or urgency, just walk into the hospital when you are able, and once they have the results they will follow up.
The next 48 hours were a series of events that took place that will make an unbeliever rethink their doubts about divine intervention.
I was to be boarding a plane for takeoff to Florida on Friday, January 25th, 8:15am. In the early hours of this morning, I came down with a vile bout of a stomach bug, vomiting and such, and unable to move out of bed to get ready for my flight. My trip was cancelled.
The kids felt so terribly for me, as they knew I was looking forward to this trip for sometime. I assured them I wasn’t disappointed, and would just spend the weekend with them since I didn’t have to work.
I noticed Savanna not feeling particularly well. She was warm with a fever and complained of her throat hurting. I was glad that I had been unable to fly, and to be home with her knowing she was now sick.
Saturday morning came around and we all got to enjoy the rarity of sleeping in. By 10:30, we were all awake with the exception of Savanna. I went to check on her and she felt hot, and complained of an even worse sore throat.
My other children and I continued on with our Saturday morning chores. Around 1pm I decided to check her fever. It was 102.5°.
Savanna, her sister, and I entered Anderson emergency room at the recommendation from our insurance, around 4:30. They swabbed her for the suspected strep throat I was sure she had.
We waited patiently for the ER pediatrician to come in. When he did, he informs us the strep culture came back negative. Weird, I thought. He proceeds to examine her. Her spleen was enlarged, she had a heart murmur, and appeared anemic. He asked if I’ve heard this before about the heart murmur. I told him no, and that her pediatrician said nothing of the sort 10 days prior.
He continues to order lab work and other tests. The whole works. I’m thankful he’s being thorough while we are there.
About an hour passed and the pediatrician returned. His grim look was no different than at our introduction. He sits down on the swivel stool and says he has bad news. With my daughters and myself all ears, his next sentence is one I have never imagined would be spoken to me.
It looks like leukemia.
With uncontrollable shaking and the sound of Savanna’s voice in the background repeating “am I going to die”, all I could think was “please, God, give me the words to say to her to bring her peace and comfort, and assure her she has a long life to live”.
It is incomprehensible how one will respond to a traumatic turn of events. Only until it stabs you in the heart, will you know you’re true strengths and weaknesses.
Savanna is a fighter. She always has been, and I’m pretty positive always will be. She fights with me. She fights with her twin brother. She fights with her little sister. Sometimes she fights with her friends. She is fighting this cancer to the end.
And she will win.
Backstory:
Three years ago to this past month of January, our family had been displaced. What my children knew as the perfect family life was stripped from them in an instant.
Addiction took their father out of our lives, losing our home, our vehicles, our dear neighbors and friends, and everything we knew as our normal.
Moving back to my home state to be helped by my family meant leaving their friends, starting a new school, and trying to start life over again, but without their father.
Multiple attempts of his recovery and relapse have left my children fully reliant upon me. I wouldn’t have it otherwise.
I’ve stepped away from my employment for the time being, to be by her bedside night and day. With the help of dear family and friends, we are fighting this battle with her.
I am setting up relief funds for her and her up-and-coming medical expenses, as well as travel expenses, child care, food, and living assistance, as I am hers and her 2 siblings’ sole provider and care taker during this endeavor.
Help us in supporting Savanna along the way with this journey to heal her and help reach our goal, 2B CANCER FREE!!!
We’ve come too far to let this little thing called cancer stand in our way. We’ve initiated this fund for the sake of my daughter’s recently diagnosed leukemia, as well as our family’s wellbeing.
We are at the infant stages of this process known as chemotherapy. I know the outpouring of love and support we’ve received in just a few short days has been overwhelming, and continues to be so.
We know there’s a journey ahead of all of us for Savanna, which includes herself, her brother, sister, myself, and the dear family and friends that help and support us.
Alleviating some of the financial obligations during our endeavor would make this that much less worrisome and fearful.
We MORE than appreciate the support, love, aide, and prayers that pour in for Savanna and our family.
Please follow us on our Caring Bridge account that will be up and running hopefully no later than February 8th, 2019.
With so much love, thank you ❤️
Mitorganisatoren (3)
Amanda Adams
Organisator
Edwardsville, IL
Christine Velloff
Mitorganisator
Erin Velloff
Mitorganisator