Eliana M.
New Jersey
Birth Date -   January 26, 2009

Main Diagnosis -      Leukemia

THEME:    "Birds"
Eliana's Story

Eliana (Ellie) has always been a super healthy and happy. In November 2014 she had two bouts of strep throat. During the second round of antibiotics, she also caught a virus and was run down and super tired. After that, Ellie just never seemed to fully bounce back. She was really tired, pale, and lost her appetite. We also noticed two swollen lumps in her neck and some mild bruising. Most concerning was when Ellie began waking up screaming every night with a fever, abdominal pain and elbow pain. After three doctor visits it was decided that we'd get blood work, an elbow xray and abdominal ultrasound.

We started the day with blood work and then drove to another location for the xray and ultrasound. While they were being completed, we got a call that Ellie should also have a chest xray and that we had an appointment with an oncologist that afternoon. Her stat blood work had already come back as abnormal. We were terrified, but trying to keep optimistic since nothing specific or awful had been seen on the xrays and ultrasound.

At the oncologist appointment we were told that Ellie very likely had leukemia and that we had to have her in the hospital asap due to her nightly fevers. We drove straight to CHOP and were there for 2 weeks. In addition to feeling sick from the leukemia, Eliana also had to deal with having a port placed, two spinal taps, a bone marrow biopsy, and having an NG tube placed to help her take the oral meds.

Since discharge, Ellie has handled so much, so well. She has gotten through the first month of steroids which caused a lot of weight gain, sleep problems and mood/behavior changes. She's also really missed school, since she hasn't been able to go back yet. Ellie really misses her friends.

We are getting ready to start the second stage of chemo and working on keeping Ellie's spirits up! Her two sisters (one younger and one older) are also adjusting to our "new normal"... It is hard and certainly not what we expected, but are so lucky to have each other and a supportive family and community behind us.