The Childhood Cancer Blog
The Childhood Cancer Blog
Melissa Bento was busy picking up family from the airport for her oldest daughter’s first communion when the pediatrician called and said that her younger daughter, Mia, needed to see a hematologist.
Melissa asked if it could wait. They’d been back and forth to the doctor so many times trying to figure out Mia’s weird blood work. The doctor said: “No, I made you an appointment for tomorrow.”
“My heart,” recalls Melissa, “just dropped.”
Mia had more bloodwork done, and then a phone call came during her sister’s communion that Mia’s neutrophil count was zero. She... Read More
In 2013, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation funded researcher Dr. Rebecca Gardner and her team at Seattle Children’s Hospital began enrolling patients in what was a crazy, sci-fi-esque trial at the time. The trial engineered a child’s immune system and turned those cells in cancer killers.
“I still remember the first patient we infused, and in my heart I wanted it to work so badly and in my head I was like, ‘There’s no way this is going to work,’” recalls Dr. Gardner, who is now at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
At the same time, 175 miles away in Portland ,Oregon... Read More
This year 17,000 children were diagnosed with childhood cancer. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.
Childhood cancer affects the entire family. SuperSibs, a program of ALSF, provides comfort and care support to siblings. Photo by John Ransom.
Each year, ALL survivor Mia hosts a lemonade stand with her SuperSib Gabby
Flashes of Hope has photographed over 1,500 families. Photo by Wendy Zins
Melissa Bento’s daughters Mia and Gabby were in elementary school when an acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosis changed their family forever. Mia, who was just 5 years old, faced grueling treatments. Gabby, who was just 8 years old, faced time on the sidelines of the fight. Her mom signed her up for ... Read More
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