Only 20 per cent of children diagnosed with JMML survive. Four years after treatment completion, things for Bailey are quickly returning to normal.
Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) – Bailey’s Story
Bailey loves karate and swimming, and is an avid artist and creative dancer. And like most kids, she had a routine visit to her family doctor shortly after her fifth birthday. Within two months, however, she became extremely ill.
Grim Statistics
Bailey’s mother, Terri, knew something was wrong when Bailey could not overcome a case of strep throat. After several trips to the doctor and urgent care for symptoms thought to be related to allergies — a very pale Bailey was admitted to the hospital.
Although leukemia was suspected, Doctors faced a challenge in diagnosing her illness. Bailey spent the next four weeks undergoing every test for every disease known to man, as her doctors put it. During this time she endured intubation in the ICU for nine days after going into respiratory distress. What was perfectly clear was that Bailey was very, very sick.
In mid-July, Bailey’s monocytes and white blood count spiked dramatically and the consensus of many teams of doctors from throughout the United States was that Bailey indeed had Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia or JMML, an extremely rare and deadly form of childhood cancer. Only 20 per cent of children diagnosed with this disease survive. Most cases of JMML are diagnosed in infants and toddlers; Bailey, at five-years-old was considered old for this diagnosis.
An Unlikely Donor
JMML does not typically respond to conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, so a bone marrow transplant was the only possible cure. Against all odds, Bailey’s father, Roger, was a donor match. Since less than 0.5 percent of parents are a match, this was extremely rare.
Bailey received her bone marrow transplant, and responded well. However, having been bedridden for so long, she needed to build up her strength afterward. She finally returned home for good shortly before Christmas.
Almost immediately, Bailey’s condition dramatically improved. Less than six months after her transplant, she was again practicing karate and soon returned to school. One year after her transplant, Bailey had completely returned to normal health and happiness and all the activities she enjoyed before her diagnosis!
A Mantra to Live by...
Things for Bailey’s family are quickly returning to normal. Bailey’s mom, Terri, has learned so much from her daughter’s journey including words that she tries to live by, "I refuse to allow cancer to rule our lives and try to live each day to its fullest and push away the icky, useless thoughts when they try to invade my brain!" Nope, not today. Today is a day of celebration and fun. And so is tomorrow, and all of our tomorrows to come forever and ever!
