What it means to fight Leukemia
When Grace discovered that her son, Selah, had Leukemia, her entire world seemed to come to a stop. From a devastating diagnosis to a grueling treatment regime at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, Grace has depended on the help of the donors at Compass to Care to help her son battle Leukemia. Last week, this Compass to Care mom shared her story with us.
1. How old is Selah? Selah is 3-years-old.
2. What is your favorite thing about Selah’s personality? My favorite thing about Selah’s personality is his strong will. He will accomplish anything he wants to accomplish.
3. How did you find out Selah had cancer? I went to work on a typical Saturday morning at my nail salon. I dropped Selah off at my dad’s and I just knew he wasn’t feeling well. He had been waking up in the night uncomfortable and had been asking me to carry him more often than normal. That morning, I discovered a few “freckle” like spots on his face. My mother’s intuition told me something was really wrong.
“My second client of the day happened to be a doctor. I told her my concerns and showed her pictures of his “freckles”. After finishing her service she suggested I go home and look for more spots on his body. I immediately did as she said and sent her pictures of these sporadic spots. Her response was, “go to the emergency room”. He was diagnosed within an hour, life flighted to Chicago (two hours away), and I was told he would have died over the weekend had I not come in. My client saved my son’s life that day. His “freckles” were actually Petechia, a symptom of Leukemia.
4. What is the hardest part about traveling to treatment? Emotionally, the hardest part about traveling for treatment is the anxiety Selah feels when we get onto the highway. He typically starts to whine but generally falls asleep shortly into the ride. It usually takes us 2.5 to 3 hours due to the morning Chicago traffic, a drive that would typically only takes an hour and forty five minutes. I don’t mind because it allows me the time I need to mentally prepare for the day. I do lots of praying on our commute.
5. Has anything changed during the Covid-19 response? During Covid 19 our appointments have been spaced out to every 6 weeks instead of every 4 weeks. Four weeks was our longest spread between appointments and jumping it to 6 is great for Selah but a little bit harder on me. I was unable to work from March until June which completely cut off my income. We made it through those months and life seems to be getting back to our “normal”.
6. Has Compass to Care had an impact on your treatment journey? Compass to Care has made such an impact on our journey! Within the first few moments of Selah’s diagnosis all of the thoughts of “how am I going to do this?!” began to take place. As a single mom, I wasn’t sure how I could take off of work and afford to travel to Chicago. In the beginning, our appointments were weekly. Within the first day or two of diagnosis our social worker mentioned, “Compass to Care” and it was like an immediate weight lifted off of my back. One less worry and I am so grateful for all that you do!
7. What would you say to our donors, if you had the chance? Thank you to the donors who continue to financially support Compass to Care and in turn, support my family. Without this foundation I am not sure how I’d be funding our travel expenses. The cost of gas and parking garages can add up so quickly. Although they may seem like small expenses they make a large impact in our journey through cancer. Please know that you are making a difference in the lives of many. I look forward to becoming a donor when our journey with Compass to Care comes to an end.
Thank you, Grace, for sharing your story. All of your friends at Compass to Care are in your corner! Click here to find out how you can help more kids like Selah!