October 1st, 2014 was the day that our life drastically changed. Emmitt, my then fourteen-month-old son, went in for what was supposed to be a quick, simple hernia repair. The surgery timing seemed longer than expected. I was waiting in the waiting room when the surgeon finally appeared, and as I jumped up quickly to go back to recovery, he asked that Corey (Emmitt’s dad) and myself come back together. He sat us in a tiny room, and the tears had begun to pour down my face as he explained they found a round blue cell tumor in Emmitt’s testicle and needed immediate consent to remove the tumor. Emmitt had cancer. 

After surgery, we then waited weeks to get further testing to determine what kind of cancer Emmitt had and its staging...thanks to hassles from our insurance. Emmitt’s health deteriorated quickly, and he just cried and had black eyes. The oncologist suggested we go to St. Christopher’s Emergency Room in Philadelphia right away. After hours of testing, we were informed he had stage four, high risk neuroblastoma all through his body. We endured a long year of chemo, radiation, surgeries, and bone marrow transplants. In October of 2015, he finished treatment, and we were on what we thought was the road to recovery. 

During the month of December, Emmitt would be so fatigued and would randomly vomit. We told the oncologist, who admitted him for a few days and diagnosed him with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). A week later, we went for routine testing, and I expressed Emmitt was not ok and I wanted answers. They eventually ordered a stat CT scan where he would be awake. Can you imagine a two-year-old lay still in a tube? I had to lay on top of him to hold his screaming, agitated body still. That is when we learned he relapsed with two large tumors in his brain, and he had a brain bleed. Again, another year of drastic treatments. 

Now Emmitt is eleven years old, and seven years in remission. But he still has some residual setbacks due to treatment. He has short stature. He’s an eleven-year-old who looks like he is four. Some kids are not the best with their words and do make fun of him because of his height and weight. He suffers from lingering anxiety any time he is sick. He tries to hide it from me with the fear of having to go to a doctor. Recently, he had to get a follow up MRI, and he was not able to express himself to me as he sat there in tears, angry at me thinking this is all my fault. As his mom who was there for every doctor appointment, scan, and testing, I am his punching bag and try not to take his anger personal. It is a very emotional roller coaster for the whole family when a child is affected with cancer.

We are beyond grateful to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley for all of the support they have provided to our family, as well as other families who are going through this horrible situation. The organization makes the group you never wanted to be a part of easier to cope with and connects us with other families who are affected by this illness. 

Written by Emmitt’s mom, Carissa

Please consider helping children with cancer and others in our community by scheduling a blood donation at Miller-Keystone Blood Center: https://donor.giveapint.org/donor/schedules/zip