During the otherwise normal summer of 2019, Lauren’s family noticed that she wasn’t her usual energetic four-year-old self. She was always up for playing and wasn’t afraid to go for a tumble, but she had some excessive and unexplained bruises, particularly on her legs, as well as a pale complexion. Her mom, Liz, was concerned and felt it best to take her to the doctor to get checked. Her mother’s intuition proved to be right.
The next day, Lauren’s dad, Rick, was at work when Liz relayed the unforgettable news: Lauren’s doctor had called and told the family to get to Children’s Hospital as soon as possible—there was a very good chance that Lauren had leukemia.
“That moment will never leave me,” remembers Rick. “I can best explain it as the feeling of having your legs kicked out from under you—there was immediately so much unknown just ahead.”
Lauren underwent some further tests and the initial diagnosis was confirmed; she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia and needed to begin treatment immediately. Over the next few hours, an incredible number of people became a part of the family’s lives, all playing very important roles.
“One of those people was a wonderful woman, named Renee, who had helped Liz find her way to where she needed to be in the hospital,” Rick recalls. “She was able to sense the urgency and confusion that Liz’s body language expressed and helped her along—she was actually our first contact at the hospital.”
“I quickly learned that she was there to help and provide support, which turned out to be incredible,” Rick continues. The most immediate help was the meal vouchers provided to assist with the costs of food during the family’s initial four-week hospital stay, and which proved to be particularly valuable.
“One of Lauren’s medications was a steroid, which we were promised would make her moody and also incredibly hungry—not a pleasant combination!!” Rick explains. “The price of food at the hospital can be quite high and it was wonderful to have the help carrying that weight.”
Another significant cost during a hospital stay and subsequent appointments is the price of parking. Childcan provided the family with a parking pass that would allow them to come and go during that first few weeks in the hospital and for the duration of Lauren’s treatment. Even as an outpatient, families such as Lauren’s experience many, many more hospital visits, and the parking costs accumulate very quickly and are ongoing.
“It was a very scary time for us, a normal family that was thrust into the stress and fears of a childhood cancer diagnosis,” remembers Rick. “Our son, Marshall, was nearly three years old and certainly had little understanding of what was going on, but I was very concerned that he might be left in the background of things. Our immediate and most important concern was doing whatever it took to get Lauren healthy, but we still had to maintain some kind of normal family operation, especially once discharged from the hospital.”
As time went on through their journey, Lauren’s family learned about Childcan events and tried to be as involved as they could.
“We loved to attend the outings and became familiar with others that were going through similar challenges, realizing how widespread childhood cancer really is,” says Rick. “These events took our minds off the medical side of our situation and let us have fun and be part of an extra special group of people.”
“We were all brought together through the hardest parts of our lives, with different challenges but in the same way,” Rick explains. “I have participated in the Polar Bear Dip, beginning in winter of 2020, and I’m amazed and overwhelmed with the number of people involved with the event. I realize that a number of participants and supporters are people like me, having gone, or going through this unfair battle, but there are so many more people there, just in support. I hope they will never have to experience our side of it, but words can’t express the gratitude I have for their presence and involvement.”
“The staff at Childcan are a wonderful group, always smiling, although I imagine it must be hard to deal with the situation of the work they do,” Rick continues. “Many have had to deal with their own unfair fights, some with the ultimate difficulty and are now continually putting their strongest foot forward to help others through their challenges.”
Lauren is now a cancer survivor and is ready to take life head on.
Her family knows that they may get knocked down in life, but they do their best to get back on their feet, acknowledging the importance of having help and support when it is really needed.
“I have known some strong and tough people, but the strongest is my little girl,” says Rick. “She endured and beat an illness that has no regard for anything, whether it be age, gender, ethnicity, wealth or lifestyle. I am very proud of our family for how much stronger we have become together. We’ve learned how to handle challenges that we never expected, thanks to the help and support that we have received throughout our journey.”