Meet sweet Alexa!!!!
“Alexa was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on December 9th 2018 at the age of two and a half. Our world as we knew it would never be the same and so many of our plans changed so much.
We had a trip planned to Mexico to visit our family. We were going to stay the whole month of December . It was only me and Alexa. Dad was going to join us by Christmas.
Alexa had a fever 2 weeks before the trip and it wasn’t going away. We had a really bad night and we decided to take her to the ER. They did all sorts for tests (except for blood) and told us there seemed nothing wrong. They sent us home with antibiotics “just in case”. The next day we didn’t see improvement and we thought something was not right and since it was a Sunday we decided to take her to an immediate care clinic. They told us that she looked fine and that we needed to give time to the antibiotic to start working. The next day she looked so much better and no fevers. So we thought it was some kind of infection and that the antibiotics helped.
She went back to normal except she was not eating very good. But again we thought she was just a 2 year old being picky.
When we got to Mexico the not eating got worse, so my sister suggested to take her with her pediatrician to see what he thought maybe he could give her an appetite stimulant or something. As soon and he saw her he knew something was not right. He did tell me he didn’t like her pale skin tone. He didn’t say much more but he said before giving her anything I want some blood tests and we’ll go from there. The next morning we went to get the tests and by the afternoon he called saying he wanted to see us since he didn’t like the results.
I will never forget that moment. He was holding the tests and I saw him struggling so much trying to find the words, and then he just said it, Alexa has leukemia. I don’t remember what he said next because I just started crying and screaming. I was lucky I was with my family right there by my side. Then he just told me it’s ok, this leukemia is the most treatable one. I know she’ll get through this. You just have to go back right away and start treatment.
After calling her dad to give him the news, and with the help of her pediatrician we got everything set up to go to the children’s hospital in Wisconsin. They were waiting for us. They did some tests and that’s when they confirmed what the doctor told us in Mexico.
The treatment for Alexa will last 27 months. The first 8-9 months are the hardest ones. We went through different phases and different chemos.
Our first 2 months were really rough. She did not take good to the steroids and she had many complications with her stomach. Luckily by the end of induction we reached remission. Which was the best news, but we still had a long road ahead. She suddenly started having so much pain, but she really could tell us what she was feeling so after many tests they found she had her intestines perforated and had to have surgery.
Right now we are 1 month away from long term maintenance, where there won’t be so much chemo and kids can return to have a little more of a normal life.
Alexa has gone through so much and overcome so much in these months and you will see her smiling and being silly. There is no doubt in our hearts that she is a true warrior, and that she is fighting with all she’s got. We are stronger and better because of her, she is teaching us so much she doesn’t even realize.”
Destination Dino Liam will be sending Alexa and her parents on a fun filled getaway to Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells!! We are SO excited!
If you would like to contribute to Alexa’s mini vacation, click the link below!
