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T-Cell ALL

Avery turned 4 years old in December 2011. When she went for her checkup in January 2012, everything was good. She developed a cold toward the end of the month so we took her to the doctor where she was diagnosed with a sinus infection. On her sixth day of taking an antibiotic, we noticed unusual bruising and purple petechiae on her belly. This alarmed us so we called the pediatrician that evening and were told to discontinue the antibiotic and bring Avery in first thing in the morning. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, Avery was diagnosed with Leukemia. We were shocked and devastated. We were immediately sent to Children's of Alabama where we stayed an initial seven days. Her white count at her well visit was in a normal range of 7,000. The day she was diagnosed with T-Cell ALL her white count was 96,000. Due to some high electrolytes she was delayed in getting her port placed until Friday, Feb. 10 and her white count shot up to 160,000. We are grateful to say that Avery was declared in remission after the initial 29 days of Induction and is doing great. She is in Delayed Intensification and we are hoping by late October 2012, she will be entering Long Term Maintenance. Our doctors at Children's are wonderful and the nurses and staff truly care for the well-being of these kids and their families. Avery will continue on Long Term Maintenance through June 2014. Through all of this we have nicknamed Avery, brAVERY, and sold T-shirts and bracelets with her nickname and our scripture verse we felt was laid on our hearts. Isaiah 25:1 says, "God you are my God, I will praise your name forever, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago."