Paul K.
Texas
Birth Date - January 17, 2012
Diagnosis - PH + ALL
THEME: Favorite Things
Superheroes (specifically: Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Spider Man, Batman, Flash, Hawkeye, Superman and Black Widow), Mickey Mouse, Realistic Dogs, Realistic Bunnies, Legos, Race Cars, Police Officers, Firemen, Fire Trucks.
Due Date: 2/1/17
Paul's Story
June 28, 2015 I picked up Paul from daycare and he was limping. When I asked him what happened, he said he tripped and fell on the playground. We went home, ate dinner, and I bathed him like any other normal day. He was still limping. Around 11PM he woke up crying in pain. He couldn't sit up or walk. I rushed him to our local emergency room. They did blood work, xrays, put an IV in his hand and gave him pain medication. The doctor told me his white blood count was extremely high, and he needed to go to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. About 3AM we were taken there by ambulance, and by 8AM the oncologist was telling me my 3 year old son had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I was absolutely devastated. By 3pm that horrible day, Paul already had a port surgically implanted in his chest and his first dose of chemotherapy. It all happened very fast. He went into remission on day 8 of treatment, which was a blessing.
For the next 3 months we went through what I thought was absolute hell. We stayed 3 weeks in the hospital, and then were discharged to the Ronald McDonald House. For the entire first month after diagnoses, my once active, talkative, healthy, normal little boy didn't walk, talk, or even smile. We had weekly clinic visits and admissions for many fevers and things. Each time we were discharged back to the Ronald McDonald House. It was our home until September 24th, when we finally went home. We still had weekly clinic visits, and monthly inpatient chemo hospital admissions.
Paul is now in maintenance cycle. He has another 15 months of treatment left, but has stayed in remission since 8 days after he was diagnosed. We feel very blessed for that. He always has a smile on his face, and a positive attitude. He is the love of my life, and my hero!
"Thank You"
"Here are some pictures of Paul and his amazing quilt. He loves it so much! Please tell Jeanne, Susie, Pam, Karen, Melissa, Ginny, Sandra, Amanda, Jani, Susan, Peggy, Jeri, Sandy, Bonnie, Barbara, Jen, Lisa, Sally, and Jane thank you so very much! And thank you Janis."
