Family and Friends,

What an insane 42 hours Parker (19 months) and our family have had. We will start from the beginning and give all the details, so hopefully we don’t have to explain it again for a while. It hurts to write this. Thursday, Feb 1st we noticed some lumps on the back of Parker’s head (swollen glands). Jamie took him to the doctor the next day and was told “not to worry – it could be caused from dandruff or a rash”. Sunday the 4th, we noticed the glands in his throat were very swollen, so again Jamie took him to the doctor that Monday. Again, she was told “not to worry – he just has a sore throat” and was prescribed amoxicillan. Over the next few days we noticed he had diarrhea, was very clingy, and not urinating regularly. Jamie called the doctor’s office Friday the 9th and the nurse practitioner switched his antibiotic. Over the weekend he became even more lethargic, clingy, bruises on his legs, and even more loss of appetite. Jamie brought him back to the doctors on Monday the 12th and saw a different doctor. He said that Parker had strep throat, but he felt that there was something else underlying everything and ordered blood work to be done that day. We took him to the DeLand hospital around 3:30 for the blood test and around 5:30 the pediatrician called me back. He said that Parker’s white blood count was extremely elevated, which he believed was the onset of leukemia. He said we needed to take him to Arnold Palmer Children Hospital in Orlando immediately – don’t even pack. We arrived at the ER about 7pm and met with a Hematologist/Oncologist doctor. Tests were run, x-rays were taken. Parker’s white blood cell count came back at 405,000 (5,000-10,000 is normal) and X-rays showed a mass in his chest. He was taken to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in critical condition. Parker has now been diagnosed with M5 Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). Since being at the hospital we have spoken to so many Doctors and Nurses and have had so much information put before us in writing and told to us that we feel kind of numb. Parker has been such a trooper though. He has been poked so many times and put under anesthesia twice for different procedures. He has a dual catheter in a artery in his groin area, he has had a spinal tap, a bone marrow test and an IV in his hand for fluids. Chemotherapy was started yesterday and the next 24-72 hours are considered very crucial. AML has a 50-60% survival rate – which is so scary for us. That does not even include the long-term side effects from the chemo (incl liver damage, GI tract damage, etc). This is going to be a very long and challenging journey for our family. With Jamie expecting on April 23rd we have been told to find an Orlando OB and plan on delivery at Winnie Palmer Hospital (which is next door).

This is a lot of information – all we are asking of you is to pray for the whole picture (Parker’s body, health, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, surgeons, our family, Payton). We believe prayers are already helping, as his breathing is already improving. Also, please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know, add to church prayer lists, etc. We want as many people praying as possible.

Currently we are staying at the Ronald McDonald house of Orlando at Arnold Palmer Hospital and we’ll be there for approximately 6 weeks. If you’d like to call and leave a message for us at the RM House the number is 407-581-1289 x288 (we are staying in room 27).

The doctors, nurses and entire staff have been so wonderful to us. The Ronald McDonald House has been such a blessing. Please pray for these folks that have made this challenge a little more bearable for us over the last 42 hours.

Thank you for all the prayer, support and encouragement we have already received.

Prayerfully,
Jamie, Aaron, Payton and Parker

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