Inspirational Stories

My granddaughter Hadley was three years old when she suddenly started limping in pain and was unable to bear weight on her right leg. Forty-eight hours and three medical appointments later, her bloodwork showed acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). It was a nightmare that came out of nowhere.

Always a kid on the go and with a big personality to match, Hadley has spent much of the last year isolated at home or the hospital due to treatment. She has endured countless procedures under anesthesia and has had so many toxic medicines pumped into her little body to destroy the cancer. Hadley deals with the nasty side effects of treatment almost daily.

Most recently, Hadley suffered from a severe neurologic complication during a routine lumbar puncture with intrathecal methotrexate which resulted in a prolonged hospitalization. Hadley had to relearn how to walk and regain bladder function. This experience really highlighted the need for better and less toxic treatments for children.

Hadley has now entered the maintenance phase of her treatment with the hope of ringing the bell in January 2026.  She still faces daily oral chemo at home, weekly antibiotics, monthly IVIG, and every 3 months a 5-day steroid pulse as well as a lumbar puncture with intrathecal and IV chemo.  Even with all that, she has been able to start enjoying the things most 4-year-old kids do.  She was able to return to pre-school and is enjoying making many new friends.  While pretty shy at first, she has really blossomed into a very outgoing and helpful student.  She has made tremendous progress in recovering from her spinal cord injury in April, 2024.  While still attending physical therapy and wearing an ankle brace, she played soccer in the fall and has recently begun studying Irish Dance.  

My previous monthly visits to help care for Hadley have evolved into quarterly visits, allowing her parents a bit of a break and providing me with an opportunity to support them in any way I can.  Hadley and I both look forward to doing crafts, taking walks to the park, baking and just enjoying being together.  

When Hadley was first diagnosed, our first call as grandparents was to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  We were encouraged to reach out to the Information Resource Center, which provided me with a tremendous amount of helpful information.  

I was so impressed with the services offered by LLS that I volunteered to become a First Connection volunteer.  We have become very engaged with Light The Night, joining the 2023 walk about a month after Hadley's diagnosis.  In 2024, we had more time and were able to assemble a team of 10 people, raising over $13,000.  

I participated in the LLS Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors review team and was awed by all the remarkable and touching essays. I was honored to be invited to attend the LLS Forum in September 2024 and truly enjoyed meeting so many other people who shared my passion for LLS, if not more. We are always seeking new ways to promote LLS and its various services.  

Despite all this, Hadley’s big personality continues to shine as she constantly makes those around her laugh. She is the strongest, bravest, and funniest little girl. She enjoys riding her bike, doing arts and crafts, and going for walks with her dog, Rio.

Living far away from family has made dealing with this even harder. Her grandparents have all put their lives on hold to spend extended time helping care for Hadley. This has been both difficult and a blessing as they have created very special bonds with Hadley that we trust will last a lifetime.