Celebrating every minute of every day
When you first meet Jamarielle – known to all as “Jam” – you can’t help but be struck by the infectiously cheerful and precocious 10-year-old’s spirit. To see this ebullient young lady, you’d never guess that she’s been through a series of challenges most adults would be hard-pressed to endure with such grace.
When Jam was 5, tests indicated she had very low levels of neutrophils – white blood cells that are necessary to fight infection. She was closely followed by oncologist Elaine Morgan, MD, an attending physician in Children’s Memorial Hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, as the condition can be an early indicator of leukemia, the most common form of cancer in children. The center is the region’s largest dedicated to diagnosing and curing childhood cancer and is ranked 14th in the country by U.S. News & World Report. As Jam grew older and no sign of the disease was detected, it seemed less and less likely she would develop it.
But when Jam was 8, she began to feel lethargic and experienced leg pain that made it difficult for her to walk even short distances. On April 13, 2007 – a Friday the 13th, as Jam’s mom Jessica recalls – she and Jam’s dad, Jermaine, brought her to the hospital’s Emergency Department to be examined.
“When she was younger, every time we took Jam to the hospital we thought this would be the time they told us, ‘Yes, she has leukemia,’” says Jessica. “This time Jermaine and I knew this was ‘the day.’”
Jam’s parents’ greatest fear was realized, as their daughter was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Almost immediately she began chemotherapy treatments.
Our Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders is the region’s largest dedicated to diagnosing and curing childhood cancer.
Learn more important facts »
Despite frequent hospitalizations, the often harsh side effects of her treatments and numerous spinal tap procedures, Jessica says her daughter took things in stride, even when she was having a bad day or was in pain. She says Jam not only didn’t mind losing her hair, she actually liked being bald. “Jam never complained about anything, but we were a mess,” says Jessica. “She would pat me on the back as if to say, ‘Mom, I’ll be fine. It’s okay.’”
As if dealing with the challenges of cancer weren’t enough, Jam also needed emergency surgery at the hospital for a perforated bowel – a serious condition that arose as a complication of the chemotherapy medications she needed.
While she was sick, Jam missed much of 3rd and all of 4th grade. She kept up with her class through home tutoring from some of her teachers and even participated in a math class via a video hookup. During her frequent hospitalizations Jam enjoyed participating in such Children’s Memorial’s Family Services programs as music and art therapy as a respite from her treatments.
Jam was declared in remission within a month of beginning treatment, although she continued chemotherapy treatments as part of her therapy protocol.
“Jam was cared for so well at Children’s,” says Jessica. “Dr. Morgan is an incredible person, who is both brilliant and very calming. And Jam’s oncology nurse, Maureen Haugen, understands her so well and has become like a member of our family. In fact, she and Jam went to a Hannah Montana concert together. We are forever grateful for both of them.”
Jam was one of several patients who spoke at a celebration marking the April 21, 2008, groundbreaking of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Her mom says one particular aspect of the new hospital prompted Jam’s endorsement. “When Jam found out the hospital will have all private rooms, she was really excited,” says Jessica. “The privacy will be an incredible asset for both kids and families.”
Unfortunately, after a year in remission, Jam suffered a relapse. In September 2008, after preparation that included more intensive doses of chemo and full-body radiation, she underwent a successful stem cell transplant. Children’s Memorial’s has one of the nation’s largest pediatric stem cell transplant programs, and sees more than 70 percent of the pediatric stem cell transplant cases in the Chicago metro area each year. After Jam recovered from the procedure, one of her greatest wishes was granted: to return home in time to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Today Jam is doing well and keeping busy. This summer she attended the One Step at a Time camp for kids with cancer and took a class in a Northwestern University summer program for gifted children. Jessica says she and Jermaine, a former professional boxer, call their daughter “Jam the Champ.”
“Jam is so many things,” says her mom. “She’s strong, brilliant, funny and incredibly compassionate towards others – especially children. She’s a champ, just like her dad.”
Jam and her family have also given back to help others. Last year she shopped for $1,000 in toys, games and other items for Children’s Memorial patients in a shopping spree sponsored by Wal-Mart. In July, she and her parents participated in the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University’s 16th Annual Cancer Survivors’ Celebration & Walk, where Jam and Jermaine spoke about the importance of bone marrow donation. And in September, the family will hold a blood drive and bone marrow donor registration event at their home to celebrate the first anniversary of Jam’s stem cell transplant.
While Jam continues to be followed by Morgan and Haugen through regular outpatient follow-up visits, her mom says Jam’s current therapeutic regimen is simple: “Celebrate every minute of every day and have the most fun a 10-year-old can have. It’s a regimen we all follow pretty closely.”
Story originally appeared in the August 2009 issue of Heroes Update