Come Walk With Gwen

Editor's note: Maplewood-based not-for-profit cancer patient advocacy organization the Valerie Fund is holding a fundraising walkathon/5k run on June 13 in Verona (see here for more information). We received this emotionally-charged release written by Jeanne Lukasavage, and wanted to share it.

Early last June, our daughter Gwen had not really been feeling well for a few days. Our pediatrician, Jennifer Shaw, sent her for blood work, noting her extreme paleness and lethargy. Dr. Shaw called later that afternoon to let us know that Gwen was severely anemic and needed to go to the hospital for a blood transfusion. She did not know what was causing the anemia and was awaiting the rest of the test results. A short while later she called back. My husband handed me the phone and little did we know that our world was about to be turned upside down. Dr. Shaw wanted to make sure that both of us were on the line and then she said, "Gwen has leukemia."

I can still recall a few key things about that initial conversation with Dr. Shaw, which have helped to keep me going over the last 10 months. My first question was whether leukemia is fatal. "No, it's not," she answered. She then launched into a list of things that would occur over the next few days and that the coming weekend would be the "calm before the storm." I am sure at that time, she had no idea how right she was. There would be blood transfusions, medications, procedures, and lots and lots and lots of tests. She finally assured us that she had already been in touch with the expert pediatric hematologist oncologists at the Valerie Fund at Morristown Memorial and that they had a team of people waiting for Gwen.

Then our pediatrician provided us with the ultimate reassurance that we were doing exactly what we should be doing: Dr. Shaw said that if this was her daughter, she would have her treated at the Valerie Center. Soon thereafter, Gwen's diagnosis came in as high risk pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. After a weekend of blood transfusions, Gwen's chemotherapy commenced immediately, at the Valerie Fund at Morristown Memorial. In addition to Gwen's chemotherapy, "cancer treatment" for the rest of the family began as well. As Gwen had her first spinal tap and bone marrow test, the doctors, nurses and social workers of the Valerie Fund sat down with us and explained as much as they could about what would happen to Gwen during treatment and what to expect. Gwen's prognosis was and still is very good. During our discussion, the social worker gave me a blanket, since I was shivering, and I immediately realized that the whole family was "in treatment."

This is exactly what makes the Valerie Fund an amazing place. The support that the Valerie Fund provides to the entire family has enabled us to support Gwen throughout her treatment. The Valerie Fund's mission of providing comprehensive care to children with blood cancers and disorders allows Gwen, her younger brother, my husband and I to live as close to a normal life as possible.

In the first few weeks of Gwen's treatment, it was nearly impossible to comprehend that our seemingly healthy, energetic, outgoing 4 year old was so sick. After all, she had just spent over a week on vacation swimming for eight hours a day every day! Was she sick while we were on vacation? What did we do to her to make her sick? Our self doubt was endless. And then things got worse.

Three weeks into her treatment, Gwen developed a life-threatening, fast spreading staph infection because of her comprised immune system (due to chemotherapy). She ended up requiring emergency surgery, followed by two more surgeries for the infection. She spent 43 days at the Goryeb Children's Hospital at Morristown with the complications that followed. The whole time she was fighting this severe infection, her chemotherapy treatment continued. This was the scariest and hardest time for our family. We never would have survived this ordeal, if not for the fact that the Valerie Fund and Morristown Memorial are a mere 10 minutes from our house. One of us was always able to be with Gwen and the whole family was able to spend time together every day. We followed Gwen's shining example and made the most of this difficult time.

Thanks to The Valerie Fund, we were able to provide the family support that was so critical to Gwen's recovery throughout that most trying time.  
Gwen is now in long-term maintenance chemotherapy and she is back in school. She is an amazing and inspiring person: a strong, smart, independent girl, and also a fun-loving, kind-hearted 5 year old. She lives her life to the fullest, despite cancer. We are so thankful to have the Valerie Fund to help in Gwen's fight against leukemia. The Valerie Fund provides world-class healthcare dedicated to children: amazing, compassionate doctors and nurses, child life specialists, and social workers; proper child-dedicated facilities free from germs; and emotional support for parents and siblings.

Please come and be inspired by Gwen and her friends and join our family in supporting The Valerie Fund at the 2009 Annual Walk and 5K Run, on June 13. Despite illness, these children exhibit extraordinary strength by continuing to live their lives and have fun. Join "Gwen's Gang" and walk or run with us, or donate to the fund that performs amazing acts every day.