A story on my daughter Keeley that brought me to the 11DPP... "Keeley was born 2½ weeks early! She has always been a silly, happy girl. Other than many ear infections and three sets of tubes in her ears, she has always been a healthy kid. One night in January 2021, we were eating dinner and telling jokes. When she turned her head to laugh, I noticed a bump on the side of her neck. It only showed up when her head was turned. She had not been sick recently and didn’t seem to be getting sick. I took her next door to our neighbor who is a nurse. She figured it was just swollen lymph nodes and to watch to see if Keeley was getting sick. We watched and waited about a week. Keeley did not get sick and the bump did not go away. We made an appointment with her pediatrician. Her doctor ordered an ultrasound of her neck and some blood work. The ultrasound showed some swollen lymph nodes but the blood work didn't show much -- just elevated white blood cells. Her doctor ordered her an antibiotic. She also had a follow up with her ENT. Once the antibiotic was done, her pediatrician was a little concerned that the bump didn't go away and a new bump showed up in her arm pit. The doctor wanted her to go to Oishei Children's Hospital for a chest x-ray and more blood work. Her x-ray was clear and the blood work looked better. After many hours there, she was sent home and we were told that the hematologist would call within a few days. Fast forward and I got a call from the Pediatric Clinic at Roswell Park to schedule an appointment with the hematologist. Her hematologist was concerned about the location and size of the lymph nodes but didn't seem to have an answer as to why they were swollen. She ordered a neck CT and decided they wanted to get it out and do a biopsy. Surgery was March 9th. On March 11th, the doctor from Roswell called me to let me know that preliminary results showed Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cue tears, fear and lots of questions! Happy birthday to me!! Everything started moving very quickly – a PET scan, surgery to have her port placed and the start of treatment all within a week! The scan showed spots in her lungs in addition to her neck and arm pit. Keeley’s official diagnosis was Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Keeley was a trooper throughout treatment!! She looked forward to seeing her ‘friends’ - the nurses and child life specialists at Roswell. She had her low moments, but overall she was her silly self! We only had two hospital stays which included just one blood transfusion. Her last chemo treatment was June 23, 2021! Keeley has spent the past two years with No Evidence of Disease (NED). Her hair has grown back to her shoulders and she is starting her 2nd year of middle school. With help from friends, Keeley was able to start her own non-profit - Keeley Kares For Kids. She takes pride in packing backpacks and duffle bags full of items to help other kids fighting cancer feel comfortable while in the hospital or on treatment days.” ~Keeley’s mom, Laura

March 27, 2021 I am not sure how to start this. I guess I'll start with a "quick" overview. January 9, 2021, my wife noticed a bump on the side of my oldest daughter’s (Keeley) neck. We waited a few days-week and it didn't change. We took her to her doctor to have it looked at. Her doctor was curious as well, so she ordered an ultrasound of her neck and some bloodwork. The ultrasound showed some swollen lymph nodes but the bloodwork didn't show much~ just elevated white blood cells. Doctor ordered her an antibiotic. She also had a follow up with her ENT (which she usually has every 6 months or so). ENT wanted to wait until after her antibiotic to see her again. Once the antibiotic was done, her pediatrician was a little concerned that the bumps didn't go away and actually a new bump showed up in her arm pit. The doctor wanted her to go to the ER at Oishei Children's Hospital for a chest x-ray and more bloodwork. X-ray was clear and bloodwork looked a little bit better. After many hours there, she was sent home and we were told that the hematologist would call within a few days. Fast forward a few days......We got a call from the Pediatric Clinic at Roswell Park to schedule an appointment with the hematologist (that also happens to specialize in pediatric lymphomas....cue LOTS of concern from me). Anywho......went to that appointment for more bloodwork and such. She was a little concerned about the location and size of the lymph nodes but didn't seem to have an answer yet as to why they were swollen. She ordered a neck CT. After that and consultation with the ENT, they decided they wanted to get it out and do a biopsy. Surgery for that was last Tuesday March 9th. All went well with that. March 11th, the doctor from Roswell called to let us know that preliminary results showed Hodgkin's Lymphoma. March 15 Was a full day of appointments and testing at Oishei and Roswell. CT of neck, chest and torso. EKG and echocardiogram. Pulmonary Function Test and appointment with the oncologist (puke). While we were there, she got results of her CT scans. There are some spots in her lungs. Overall it was a VERY overwhelming day. We still need to have a PET scan then the treatment will get set up. We know it will include chemo, so she will also have surgery to put a port in her upper chest. March 19 Had PET scan done and showed where all of the spots are. None are below her diaphragm so that's GREAT!!!! This past Monday she had a mediport put in and completed her first cycle of chemotherapy. I am so overwhelmed with the love and support from family and friends. My daughter is a strong fighter and she will beat this.