This is Our Story

We Want YOU to Join the Fight Against Childhood Cancer 🎗️

At the end of 2022, life as we knew it changed drastically.

I was a pastor’s wife, a writer, and mom to two active toddlers. My husband was a bi-vocational pastor who had just started a new business as a Financial Advisor. Life was hectic, but exciting changes were happening in our life and it was so good!

Suddenly, in August of that year, a few weeks after my husband started with his new business, our two year old son was diagnosed with Leukemia. We found ourselves in the middle of the biggest storm of our lives.

Since then, due to the overwhelming task of caring for our son, I’ve quit my job as a writer, editor, and a social media marketer and my husband has become the sole bread-winner for our family.

Every aspect of life changed almost in an instant.

Our son is currently still in treatment for Leukemia and still has almost 2 years left of treatment. He is,thankfully, doing well right now.

We’ve received an outpouring of love and support from our community that has overwhelmed and humbled our entire family. Through this amazing show of support, we’ve been asked many questions that, quite frankly, I didn’t have an answer to. Things like, “How can we help?”

Now that we have had a chance to learn more about what his diagnosis really means, and since we’ve lived in this “cancer world” for a little while, I wanted to provide answers to that question.

Before our son got cancer, we knew little to nothing of the burden that families face and the hard things these kids go through in order to have a chance at life beyond cancer. Things like social isolation, harsh side effects from treatment, and extended time in the hospital, just to name a few.

I felt the need to create a resource listing tangible ways that you can help these kids fight cancer and have a chance at life!

Out of that inspiration and through that pressing of the Holy Spirit- this website was born!

My hope is to inspire others through sharing our story. I also desire to provide more context of the needs many families, like ours, face.

Here you’ll find links to different organizations that have helped us so far in the hopes of connecting our amazing community with all of the ways you can truly make a difference.

If you’ve heard about our story and ever felt led to give in some way or do something to help, I encourage you to really look through this website and click the links provided to see if something is “doable” for you. I pray you will use these resources as a tool to learn more about ways you can help calm the storm for kids with cancer.

Our son’s story is still being written, but I don’t plan on hiding the testimony God has given to us. The hope we have in Christ and the peace he gives in unimaginable pain and sorrow is nothing like I’ve ever experienced in this life.

Our storm is still raging, but with Christ we have faith we will make it through and aspire to encourage and help others as we walk through it.

So, I’m glad you’re here! Take a look around! I hope you’ll find helpful information about childhood cancer here, how you can help, and pray you’ll be encouraged that no matter what storm you are in, there IS peace that surpasses all understanding, found in the one and only Christ Jesus.

- A Praying Mama

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells. The type of leukemia depends on the type of blood cell that becomes cancer and whether it grows quickly or slowly.

Leukemia occurs most often in adults, and is rarer in children.
In general terms, cbildhood cancer is not considered common, but of the different types of cancers, Leukemia is the most common in children younger than 15.

Leukemia may affect red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Signs of childhood ALL include fever and bruising (among others).

Tests that examine the blood and bone marrow are used to diagnose childhood ALL.

Source: https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia/patient/child-all-treatment-pdq

What is treatment like for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia?

There are three risk groups in childhood ALL.

Standard (low) risk: Includes children aged 1 to younger than 10 years who have a white blood cell count less than 50,000/µL at the time of diagnosis.

High risk: Includes children 10 years and older and/or children who have a white blood cell count of 50,000/µL or more at the time of diagnosis.

Very high risk: Includes children younger than age 1, children with certain changes in the genes, children who have a slow response to initial treatment, and children who have signs of leukemia after the first 4 weeks of treatment.
Other factors that affect the risk group include the following:

- Whether the leukemia cells began from B lymphocytes or T lymphocytes.
- Whether there are certain changes in the chromosomes or genes of the lymphocytes.
-How quickly and how low the leukemia cell count drops after initial treatment.
- Whether leukemia cells are found in the cerebrospinal fluid at the time of diagnosis.

Children with high-risk or very high–risk ALL usually receive more anticancer drugs and/or higher doses of anticancer drugs than children with standard-risk ALL.

The treatment of childhood ALL usually has three phases.

The treatment of childhood ALL is done in phases:

Remission induction: This is the first phase of treatment. The goal is to kill the leukemia cells in the blood and bone marrow. This puts the leukemia into remission.
Consolidation/intensification: This is the second phase of treatment. It begins once the leukemia is in remission. The goal of consolidation/intensification therapy is to kill any leukemia cells that remain in the body and may cause a relapse.
Maintenance: This is the third phase of treatment. The goal is to kill any remaining leukemia cells that may regrow and cause a relapse. Often the cancer treatments are given in lower doses than those used during the remission induction and consolidation/intensification phases. Not taking medication as ordered by the doctor during maintenance therapy increases the chance the cancer will come back.

Absolute neutrophil Count and Neutropenia

What is absolute neutrophil count?

The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is an estimate of the body’s ability to fight infections, especially bacterial infections. These test results are often referred to as a patient’s “counts.”

An ANC measures the number of neutrophils in the blood. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that kills bacteria.

What is neutropenia?

A lower than normal number of neutrophils (lower than 500) is called neutropenia. Lower than 100 is severe neutropenia.

Absolute Neutrophil Count is an estimate of the body's abilty to fight infection. Neutropenia is having an ANC lower than 1500.

The lower a person’s ANC is, the higher the risk of getting an infection.

For a cancer patient, an infection can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

*Everything linked below we have personally benefited from OR our oncology team has directly received from*

Fund a Trip for Elliot to Receive Treatment Give to “A Team”: an organization offering spiritual, financial, and emotional support Give to “Cancer Freeze”: an organization offering financial and emotional support Donate Blood Help Gather Supplies for Children’s Of Alabama “Child Life”Give to “NEGU”: a foundation providing “joy jars” and emotional support monthly Donate to “Lukes Fast Breaks”: Providing Medical Shirts to Kids Donate to “Jzips”: providing port access shirts Donate to “Zip With Us”: Providing Free Port Access Shirts Donate to “Nanas Tubie Tees”: Providing Free Port Access Shirts Donate to “Comfy Cozy’s”: Providing Port Access Shirts Join a Bone Marrow Donor Registry Give to Fund Childhood Cancer Research Elliot’s Wishlist Venmo

Do the next thing

“ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬ ——————— Do it immediately, do it with prayer, do it reliantly, casting all care. Do it with reverence, tracing His hand who placed it before thee with earnest command. Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing, leave all resultings, do the next thing.” That is a wonderfully saving truth. - Elisabeth Elliot

Want to Hear Our Story?

Let Us Share What the Lord Has Been Doing In Our Lives

We want to share our story! If you want to hear about what the Lord is doing, you can reach out to us and check what dates we are available to come and share. However, since Elliot is still in treatment, our availability is limited.

To request one of us to come, click the link below and tell us about what your event is like. Please provide your email and phone number. We will get back with you as soon as possible.

Email Us— Click the envelope below

Get your own website

Report this website