As a toddler, Amillianna had what seemed like a routine fever and ear infection. She was teething, and although she was uncomfortable, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then a bubble-like blister appeared on her thumb. The next day her mother noticed new blisters had appeared, first on her ear and then on her face. At the ER, Amillianna was diagnosed with bulleous impetigo, a bacterial skin infection, and prescribed a cream which cleared it up.
 
Even after the blisters healed, little Amillianna did not get better. She had ear infections and complained that her tongue hurt which led to a diagnosis of thrush. The previously energetic little girl seemed tired all the time and her mom thought her skin color looked off, so her mom took her to the ER. Amillianna was so lethargic that she hardly moved during blood draws at the hospital. Because of her unusually low hemoglobin levels, she was transferred to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital where she received six blood transfusions.
 
A few months after first getting sick, Amillianna was officially given a diagnosis of standard risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After a round of chemotherapy, the bubblelike blisters reappeared. This time the impetigo medicine did not work, and Amillianna was diagnosed with chicken pox. She was hospitalized with an NG tube for close to three weeks while the chicken pox blisters healed.
 
Amillianna is currently undergoing maintenance therapy.
 
Her mom says, “I hope that she will continue to grow and be anything she wants to be, I just want a future for her. She is a beautiful and loving little girl who has a whole lot of good things ahead of her.” Cancer “is a very bumpy road, especially at the beginning but having the support of others who have gone through it…has been a wonderful help. It will feel like it is never going to end or get better but it does.”
 
Quote: “Our motto: Make Each Moment Count!”
 
Information provided by Stephanie King, Amillianna’s Mom
March 2013