DETROIT – Bouncing back from pediatric illness is no easy feat, especially for a 2-year-old.
At two years old, a little girl named Kassidy has overcome a battle with a rare form of leukemia. Monday, Jan. 8, marked a significant celebration, highlighting her recovery from a bone marrow transplant and remission from cancer.
“It feels surreal because we didn’t know what it was going to be like in a year,” said Monica Selman, Kassidy’s mother. “She was very strong during treatment. It was scary because we didn’t know what to expect.”
Kassidy, now two years old, is celebrating her recovery from a rare form of childhood leukemia.
“She developed a rash around her mouth and they couldn’t really tell me what it was,” Selman recalled. “A lot of medicines that they were prescribing weren’t working”
Her mother described the tough journey that began when she and Kassidy’s father noticed something was wrong.
“We all got a cold. She got the cold worst. So, I took her to the ER. They did routine blood work and discovered her high white blood cell count,” Selman said.
That’s how little Kassidy was diagnosed, but the family never lost hope that things would eventually go right.
“The doctors here were great. Her doctor would call around the world to look for the best treatment option. And we were very confident that she was going to be OK,” Selman said.
Now, little Kassidy is ringing the bell at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, signifying her transition into remission after a bone marrow transplant.
“I’m just so thankful for the donor,” Selman said. “It’s very important that we have these donors be the match. So hopeful we can meet the donor one day.”
The team of doctors that made it possible, couldn’t be more proud.
“This is a very tough disease, but I think she did amazing going through this journey,” said Pediatric bone marrow transplant physician Dr. Eman Al-Antary. “Her family also has been a great support.”
“She’s back to her happy self. She’s running around like a normal toddler,” Selman said. “She’s back to going back to normal now.”
To celebrate, the entire family, including Kassidy’s three siblings, is going to Disney World. The trip is being provided by the Rainbow Connection. Kassidy and her siblings have also received several gifts from the hospital.