KEEP CALM HER FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT #Team A’Maree

On 5/1/22 Sunday night A’Maree and I were laying in bed when A’Maree suddenly grabbed her stomach complaining of some belly pain. As I was massaging her belly I noticed she looked kinda blotted. I picked her up and we proceeded to head to the bathroom. Before makin it to the bathroom A’Maree began throwing up. Finally we make it to the bathroom and she never has the bowel movement just continues to puke. Once I get her all cleaned up we return to the bedroom. During the night A’Maree tosses and turns still complaining of belly pain and wakes twice to puke again. My baby is 6yrs and this is literally the first time she has ever threw up not to mention the pain was so severe she was barely able to walk/move on her own so at this point I know something’s wrong.

After sending my nephew off to school on 5/2/22 Monday morning A’Maree and I head to Children's Emergency Department. After a few X-rays and some hours in the Emergency department A’Maree was diagnosed with constipation and sent home with some prescriptions to treat it. Within a 48 hr time period the pain in her stomach had gotten so bad A’Maree was no longer able to walk on her own so I had to carry her around everywhere. Carrying A’Maree around everywhere made the trips easier but it also caused pain to her stomach.

On 5/4/22 Wednesday morning A’Maree and I returned to the emergency department because her symptoms had gotten worse. After more X-rays, an ultrasound and a CT scan A’Maree was admitted into Children's Hospital ICU location. The scans had picked up a large mass that was sitting on her ureter and some internal bleeding. They was unsure what the mass was and where it came from but it was stopping her left kidney from passing urine into the bladder.

On 5/5/22 Thursday at approximately 1:30am her blood count had dropped and she had to get a blood transfusion. That same morning A’Maree had two surgeries one was to have a stent placed into her left ureter to keep her left kidney from being damaged allowing it to now pass urine into the bladder. The second was a biopsy on the mass to figure out what it was and where it came from. She also had another blood transfusion during surgery. This was followed by more X-rays, another CT scan, PET scan.

On 5/9/22 Monday A’Maree was diagnosed with cancer. After a questionable MRI and doctors still unsure as to what kind of cancer it’s was several oncologist from different departments were all pulled together to go over every test and scan to get A’Maree diagnosed and treated.

On 5/10/22 Tuesday A’Maree was diagnosed with stage 4 rhabdomyosarcoma and scheduled for surgery on 5/11/22. During the night A’Maree’s oxygen levels dropped and a emergency X- ray was performed. 5/11/22 Wednesday morning A’Maree was diagnosed and begun treatment for Pneumonia which delayed her surgery.

On 5/12/22 Thursday A’Maree had two more surgeries. One was to have a port placed in her chest so that she would be able to receive chemo. Another was done on her back to extract bone marrow to assure that the cancer hadn’t gotten into her bones.

A’Maree started her first chemo treatment on 5/13/22 Friday. She’s scheduled to receive chemo and radiation treatment for the next 39 weeks. Her outpatient treatment will be once a week. And her inpatient treatment will be once every three weeks. We are currently still in the hospital with a unknown discharge date. The Doctors aren’t expecting us to leave any earlier than the weekend 5/22/22.

I am a single mother and have been A’Maree’s sole provider since birth. I have worked hard everyday since I had A’Maree in efforts to provide her with a great lifestyle. Last year my baby started kindergarten and I started my new career job. Up until 5/4/22 that Wednesday A’Maree was admitted into Children's Hospital I had perfect attendance. Unfortunately since I just

started this job in August I did not qualify for FMLA. Today 5/15/22 I will be using the last of my vacation days. I haven’t been back to work since 5/4/22 I have literally been right here by my baby side since we walked into the emergency room Wednesday morning.

I am seeking help with keeping my rent, car note and bills paid. As stressful as my life has been in the last 10 days I would love for us to be able to walk out of here knowing we still have a home to return to. With her treatment being once a week for 39 weeks it will relieve some stress knowing that transportation is not an issue. My baby is an absolute fashionable Diva. She was literally sittin here in pain the other day but looked at me and said “Mama I need my hair done”. I can’t even begin to imagine the emotions/stress my baby and I will go through once the side effects from treatment starts to kick in.

I just want to comfortably be able get my baby to and through these treatments. Back to my healthy little girl without having the weight of anything else on my back. All I can worry about and focus on is my child right now