In May of 2022, we took Ethan to LVHN Express Care for a fever and what we thought was a cold.  The nurse practitioner was concerned about his breathing, so they sent us to the Children’s ER at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital for further testing.  What we had suspected to be pneumonia and a short stay in the hospital turned out to be a mass growing in his chest above his heart, between his spine and airway, with fluid leaking from it into his chest cavity.  They were able to test the fluid and determine that Ethan had T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.  We were devastated to learn our child had cancer.  

We had a two-week hospital stay in order to drain the fluid from his chest, receive antibiotics, have a PICC placement, bone marrow biopsy, spinal tap, and then port placement to begin his chemotherapy treatments.  We received a regimen of medications to give Ethan daily.  Initially, he had a hard time taking the medications, as surely most children do.  He didn’t understand what they were or why he had to take them.  He was barely even talking or understood what was going on, since he was only 22 months old at the time.  Those were difficult days, to say the least.  

So much has happened in the two years since he was diagnosed.  Ethan has grown from a baby to a young boy.  He has grown to look forward to going to clinic where he gets to play with toys and interact with the staff.  When we began this journey, it seemed like it would never end.  So much of our lives have revolved around appointments, medication schedules, frequent trips to the hospital for fevers, blood transfusions, and on and on.  Not to mention the steroids.  Oooh, the steroids!!!  Now that we are close to the end of treatment, we cannot thank everyone enough at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, especially the pediatric oncology staff enough for their kindness, professionalism, guidance, and friendship throughout this journey.  You have saved our boy, and we will forever be grateful.  

Throughout this entire process, PCFLV has been there for us.  They have done so much by providing us with gift cards for gas, groceries, turnpike tolls, meals, toys, entertainment, and an outlet to talk to other parents who are going through similar circumstances, and so much more.  We have often seen Ms. Kris come in with coffee and donuts for everyone and spend time playing with the kids.  PCFLV has gone to great lengths to help these kids and their families navigate through this journey of life with cancer.  We could not express our gratitude enough for the wonderful work they do.  

Written by Ethan’s mom, Ashlee

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