Kiki confronts non-Hodgkin's T-cell lymphoma
Kiki's bright and innocent smile
belies the fact that her last few years have not been that of a typical
child. Kiki was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's T-cell lymphoma in August of 2002
when she was 3-years-old.
Although childhood cancer is rare, approximately 13,000 children under the
age of 20 will be diagnosed this year. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is cancer that
invades the lymphatic system, which is a part of the immune system and functions
to fight disease and infections. When the disease attacks it causes the cells in
the lymphatic system to abnormally reproduce, which can eventually lead to
tumors. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma accounts for 60 percent of lymphomas,making it
the third most common childhood cancer.
Treatment of the disease is determined by the physician and is unique to each
individual child. Even though the cancer cells may appear confined to the lymph
nodes, because they are too small to feel or even to see with medical image
testing, radiation and surgery are not commonly chosen as methods of treatment.
The cancerous cells often spread to infect other tissues and organs throughout
the body. For this reason, chemotherapy is used. For non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a
combination of drugs is infused into the bloodstream and spreads to the entire
body.
“She handles everything so well...” says Kiki's mom, Peggy. “She's a really
happy child.”
For Kiki, treatments every three weeks at Children's Memorial Hospital have
often tired out the energetic girl, but she's never lost her spirit. She will
receive her last treatment any day now and for the next year, she'll have
follow-up appointments once a month to ensure that she remains in remission. Children's Memorial's Center for Cancer and Blood
Diseases is the region's single largest center dedicated to the diagnosis
and treatment of childhood cancers.
Kiki loves arts and crafts. She loves to learn. This fall, she's excited
about being in kindergarten.
“She handles everything so well. She's wise beyond her years and knows
exactly what she wants,” says Kiki's mom, Peggy. “She's a really happy child.”
Children's Memorial Hospital seeks philanthropic funding to enhance its
programs and services. As a proud partner of the Children's Miracle Network
(CMN), all funds raised in the Chicago area through CMN also benefit Children's
Memorial. To find out how your support can help the hospital better serve
children and families, please contact the Children's Memorial Foundation at
773.880.4237 or Foundation@childrensmemorial.org.