Hi, my name is Hannah Lake. I am Abby's aunt, Adam's sister, and Susanna's sister-in-law.

About Abby

Abigail Leigh was born on January 3, 2019, and weighed 5lbs 10 oz. Since that day, she has stolen the hearts of many. Abby is a sweet and caring three-year-old little girl. She might be small but she is big and mighty in spirit and personality. She is happy, intelligent, rambunctious, loving, and full of life. She loves BIG and her mom and dad are her favorite people and she is their favorite person. Her favorite color is pink (depending on the day). She loves to watch paw patrol and blues clues but can sing along to Frozen’s “Let it go” any day of the week. 

What exactly has she been diagnosed with?

Abby was diagnosed with B-cell ALL, Leukemia. It is an immediate life change, and St. Jude has wasted no time getting her treatment started. If you want to learn more about it, here is a helpful link: ALL.

How did we find out? (Copied from Susanna)

Many people have asked and have been curious what led us to St. Jude as it seemed sudden. Yes, yes it was. I am finally prepared to tell our story and what led us here.

Let's go back almost 3 weeks ago to Tuesday, June 28th. While she was with her in-home daycare provider, she fell, as many children do. She landed on her knee and was limping. I originally was not super concerned because she is a kid, they fall, and sometimes they get hurt when they fall. When the limping continued, I felt like I needed to take her to the minor med to get Xrays, just in case, especially since it was the same leg she broke last year. There they said they thought they saw a minor fracture on her growth plate, and we needed to follow up with ortho, so off we went to Campbell's Clinic the following day.

Once at Campbell's, we got more xrays and they said ultimately it was a bone contusion (bruise) and if it wasn't better to follow back up with them. We go about our week, still limping along and giving pain meds as needed.

The next Saturday arrives and while at a friend's house, she fell again...on carpet and bruised her knee pretty bad and almost instantly. From that point she refused to bare weight or walk on it at all. Again, we didn't think too much initially until it continued into the week. On Wednesday, of last week, I made a follow up appointment with Campbell's because something obviously wasn't right. Wednesday night we went to dinner and were talking to some acquaintances which during our conversation I realized something very important and key...Abby seemed to be showing signs of anemia.She was bruising easily, she had headaches, she was cold all the time, she craved ice/popcicles plus she was anemic as a baby! Prolonged and untreated anemia can cause weakness as well, which explained her falling. With all that I decided this was the problem, and that needed to be addressed because it was a simple fix...iron supplements!

I checked with Campbell's before canceling if they checked blood panels which they didn't unless it was for a surgery, so I canceled right away and scheduled with her pediatrician, because I was convinced THIS was the answer.

Friday rolls around, and its time to go get her blood panel completed so we can get our supplements and get ready to leave for our vacation. We go into her doctor's office, and he walks in and we start chatting about her symptoms and what brought us in. He said he knew right away from looking at her, we wouldn't be going home that night, and after her CBC returned, an ambulance was called after St. Jude confirmed they had a bed for her and here we are with a confirmed case of leukemia and a sick little girl.

How is she doing now?

Detailed and regular updates will be posted on the Facebook Page, Abby's Army; check there for the most up-to-date information. Some updates will be posted below. Abby received her first round of chemotherapy on Sunday, July 17th, 2022. She is experiencing most of the pain in her legs. The pain is due to the bone marrow expanding from the accumulation of abnormal white blood cells. This buildup causes pressure on the nerves inside the bone tissue, leading to soreness, aching, or sharp pain. She is ready to go home! Her immune system will be compromised after this process, so please keep your distance if you feel unwell for her safety.

How can you help?

First and foremost, you can send Abby well wishes, good vibes, and prayers.

Abby is receiving medical treatment at St. Jude. Although those expenses will be covered, many other costs will be compiled during this time. All the donations from this campaign will go straight to Adam & Susanna. Our goal is for them to not worry about the laundry pile, dishes, grass, days off from work, or groceries. The list is truly endless. Their top priority right now should be to care for Abby. The Taylor family has a challenging and long journey ahead; please consider contributing if possible.

Signing up to take a meal is another great way to help. Use the contact form below and I can send you a link to the meal train. 

Other ways to help: