|
|
Carolyn Coveney
In January 2003, four-and-a-half-year-old Carolyn had a belly ache.
Every few weeks she would complain of stomach pain, which would be
accompanied by vomiting approximately every two weeks. While in most
children Carolyn's age these symptoms would have been characteristic of
a persistent stomach bug, she was not so lucky. A series of tests soon
revealed that the tiny girl with the belly ache had stage IV
neurblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer in which malignant
cells form in the nerve tissue of the adrenal gland, neck, chest, or
spinal cord, and is newly diagnosed in approximately 650 children each
year in the U.S. alone. In Carolyn's case, the malignant tumor began on
her right adrenal gland, and spread to both her liver and inferior vena
cava.
When
her original oncologist deemed the tumor inoperable, Carolyn's mother,
Jennifer, sought a second opinion. She was happy to hear that the new
oncologist was willing to take a more aggressive approach. In an
attempt to shrink her tumor, Carolyn proceeded to receive three rounds
of chemotherapy, which were followed by an 11.5 hour surgery. Though
her surgery went well, she remained in the PICU for the following
five-and-a-half days. Three days after leaving the PICU, Carolyn began
her long and intensive treatments that included chemotherapy,
monoclonal antibody therapy, a bone marrow transplant, radiation, and
Accutane.
As Carolyn's surgery and treatment were administered
by specialists hundreds of miles from home, she and Jennifer found
themselves living at a Ronald McDonald House for nine months. As
visitors under age 11 were not permitted to visit immune-compromised
cancer patients, Jennifer was forced to leave her seven-year-old son,
Evan, at home with family. She remained by Carolyn's side from
diagnosis to discharge, carrying her when she was too weak to walk, and
making her smile when there seemed to be no reason.
In October
2003 Carolyn and Jennifer were able to return home, but would need to
fly back to the hospital once a month for the next year. Finally, in
October 2004, Carolyn had completed her treatment. Though she would
need to return to the hospital for quarterly scans and biopsies until
December 2005, she had no detectable cancer at the end of this cycle.
While the news is hopeful, Carolyn's doctors remain unwilling to say
that she has completely conquered her disease, as children with
neuroblastoma have been known to relapse up to 13 years after their
treatment has ended.
Despite the possibility for relapse,
Carolyn, Jennifer and Evan are now back home and have regained some
normalcy in their lives. Now seven years old, Carolyn has returned to
school and also takes ballet classes. Though Jennifer is happy to have
her daughter healthier and her family back together, she admits that
the struggle with cancer is not over. In October 2004, Carolyn
contracted pneumonia, and in the summer of 2005 she returned to the
hospital for abdominal surgery to remove adhesions that resulted from a
previous surgical procedure. Carolyn has also suffered high frequency
hearing loss as a side effect of chemotherapy.
Jennifer's most
recent challenge has been getting Carolyn into a late effects clinic to
determine whether the multitude of therapies she underwent have had
enduring adverse effects on her functioning and development. According
to Jennifer, a consensus has yet to be reached as to when a child
becomes a candidate for a late effects clinic. At the moment, a child
may have to go anywhere between two-and-a-half and five years without
disease progression before being admitted into a late effects program.
Jennifer's concern that what may have been a minor side effect one year
after completing treatment has great potential to develop into a
significant health concern if left undetected for five years is
certainly valid. She emphasizes the need to standardize the time at
which pediatric oncology patients are accepted at late effects clinics,
and the accompanying need for quality care outside of the hospital.
Jennifer
remains hopeful that, as a survivor, Carolyn's needs will continue to
be met, and that she'll continue to be a light in this world for many
years to come.
To make a donation in Carolyn's honor that will
help to ensure all cancer survivors receive the quality and timely care
they need, please select "Jennifer Click" from the "Select Fundraiser"
drop-down menu on our Active.com site. Thank you for your support.
Support us through Active.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
