Joey is a energetic fun loving little boy who never lets anything keep him down or hold him back. He was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in his lungs, liver, skin, mediastinal mass, and possibly his ear canal January 5, 2009 and started chemo that very day. At first, the treatment was working but July 2009 he relapsed. We move to the next treatment but within 2 months his disease was progressing again. At this point Joey began Salvage Therapy and had to endure 3 months of high dose chemotherapy. He lost his hair, threw up, lost his appetite. But still he laughed and played.
During Salvage, Joey's lung collapsed twice. Both times he was moved to PICU and a chest tube was placed. And both times he bounced back.
Today he has been on maintenance nearly 5 months, has had no active disease for over 4 months, and is just the happiest little guy i know. He loves his brother and sister and they love him. His hair has grown back, but we'll never forget him losing it. We are proud of him and the battle he has won.
Update 3/4/2014-
On January 5, 2009, I was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. Over the next 3 years, my mom stayed in the hospital with me during all my treatments, celebrated when I went into remission, and cried when I relapsed. She would be told to take me home on Hospice twice. My lung collapsed twice. I relapsed 6 times and went to 3 different hospitals before receiving a Bone Marrow Transplant on October 4, 2010. A year after my bone marrow transplant, I went into survivor care with our 4th hospital. Today, I am 5 years old. I remember losing my hair. I remember taking "icky medicine" that made my tummy hurt. I ask my mommy and daddy if I will get sick again. But I also run, jump, laugh and play. I send balloons to my friends in heaven. And I hope one day that there is a cure for me and kids like me. I am a survivor. I live life in the moment. Because of my treatments, I am globally delayed in all of my developmental milestones. I have speech therapy, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy. I'm afraid of strangers and am scared of losing my hair. I have post traumatic stress disorder and ADHD. But I don't let it get me down! I just keep being the strong, amazing, awesome kid I am! Thank you for supporting me and the more than 300,000 kids worldwide who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. By sharing the gifts of your time, talent and money with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, you're supporting research to give all kids with cancer a better chance for a cure.
