Most of her life, little Abby has known just one thing – cancer. Unfortunately, the poor child was diagnosed with leukemia when she was only four years old. At that time, doctors only gave her a 20 percent chance of surviving. “We were devastated,” Abby’s mom Patty reportedly said. “We were basically told that she was was going to die, there was very little hope.” Over the next six years, the family did everything they could to help Abby and give her the best life they could under the circumstances. She underwent a bone marrow transplant, intensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She was also involved in pilot projects with various test medications.
“We kept her surrounded by love because we knew at any moment we could lose her,” Patty said. “There were moments we didn’t know if she’d pull through, she has so many infections that could have ended her life. All we could do was watch her fight and try to get better.” But, one day, a ray of light and hope seemed to shine on the family. Abby had finished her treatments and during what was a beautiful year she could be just like any other kid and enjoy life. She went to school, to football practice and even joined the girl scouts. But the following September, the cancer was back and this time it was worse than ever. “As hard as that first diagnosis was, this one tested every ounce of our being,” Patty continues saying. “She became completely immobile, any movement hurt her and she hardly spoke.”
The little girl received another bone marrow transplant, but only 15 days after, she was diagnosed with graft-versus disease, a condition where the donated bone marrow begins to attack the recipient’s own tissue and harms it. Next month, Abby’s kidneys started giving up. She was under intensive care and the doctors told her parents that they needed to take their daughter on dialysis, otherwise she would be dead within 48 hours. It was time to say goodbye. “Doctors told us it was time to let her go, she was only awake for like an hour each day,” Patty continues. “We began preparing our other daughters for her death.”
Abby was placed at a an End Of Life Care department , her grandparents flew to the hospital say a final goodbye to their beloved grandchild. The parents were forced to deal with the heartbreaking task of planning their daughter’s funeral. After that, the little girl was in remission and received medicine twice a day. Her future and prognosis is still uncertain but her family is hopeful. They take every day as it comes and enjoy every precious moment they get to spend with their little girl!
