Kyndall |
Austin | Trenton
Kyndall's Story
written by mom Kristi
Kyndall was born on November 29, 1998. She
was our first born and everyone’s pride and joy. She was the first
grandchild on my side of the family, so she received lots of attention.
Everywhere we went, strangers would come up and talk to her. Not only did
she resemble the Gerber Baby with her chubby cheeks and contagious smile,
she was an extremely smart and very independent baby.
Kyndall was always a very healthy baby and that continued up until January
of 2007. That is where this story starts. At the end of November 2006, she
caught a cold and then her 1st ear infection so we took her to the
pediatrician for antibiotics. Then back again a few weeks later to try to
get rid of the stuffy nose that would not go away. After another round of
stronger antibiotics we went back for the third time and the doctor
suggested a nose spray. In the meantime, she also scheduled an appointment
with the Ear, Nose, & Throat doctor. Dr. Matthew Branch, the ENT almost
immediately notified us that she had a tumor in her nasal area and that it
was probably a very rare form of cancer. He sent her straight over to get
scans and also scheduled a biopsy for a few days later. We were all in
shock! Two days later, she was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma and it was a
long word to swallow and spell. Rhabdo is a soft-tissue tumor that can be
located anywhere in the body. As with most cancers, there is no known cause
for this type.
We started going to MD Anderson for treatment within two weeks of her
diagnosis. We have a wonderful family of doctors and nurses in Houston. Dr.
Winston Huh and his staff have been great! The first week we were there was
the worst of it all for Kyndall. She had to have MRIs, X-rays, CT scans,
Bone Marrow biopsy, lumbar puncture and then have a port-a-cath put in her
chest. The port is located just under her skin and has a direct line to an
important vein and that is where they give her the chemotherapy. They had to
do all these tests to see if the cancer was anywhere else in her body, there
was a 25% chance that it could be. What a relief, the scans and tests were
all clear! They told us had it grown a few weeks longer, that it would have
come through the soft palate in her mouth.
Now every Wednesday for the next 39 weeks she has had to have a chemo
treatment and every third Wednesday she has to stay overnight for a stronger
dosage of chemo. At the 12 week evaluation, the new MRI showed that the
tumor which was borderline large, was totally gone. That was the most
wonderful news we had heard in 3 months. Kyndall had to have 28 days of
radiation in May and June of 2007, and she did really well with that. It has
been 26 weeks of treatments now and she is such a strong and independent
little girl to this day, and has been an inspiration to everyone who knows
her. I sometimes forget that she is so young. She has handled everything
like a BIG girl. She has also had to be admitted and stayed overnight in the
hospital for fevers with low white blood counts 4 times as a precaution.
Fortunately, we also have wonderful doctors at Children’s Medical Center in
Dallas where she is also getting some of her treatments so that we do not
have to drive to Houston every time.
Kyndall has 3 sisters and twin baby brothers who love her very much. They
have all been so good and adjusted to all of the traveling we have had to do
the past 7 months. She is a great big sister and loves to help with the
boys. We also have wonderful family who has been there to care for our other
children when we need to be with her. I have homeschooled Kyndall and her
sisters so fortunately she has not had to miss much school through her
treatments. Kyndall loves to play the piano, go fishing with her Dad, play
sports, read books (especially Goosebumps) and so much more! After being
around all of the hospitals, she now would like to become a Doctor and help
others. With fourth grade around the corner, she’s on her way.
Abilities:
See: Yes.
Hear: Yes.
Talk: Yes.
Walk: Yes.
Read: Yes.
Use hands: Yes.
Siblings:
half sister Karley, age 14
sister Kamdyn, age 7
sister Kallyn, age 5
brother Krayton, age 2 (twin)
brother Kannon, age 2 (twin)
Child's Interests:
Kyndall loves to swim, camp, fish, ride go-carts, read books, play the
piano, play her GameBoy, and play with her sisters and brothers.
Sibling's Interests:
Karley is into cheerleading, soccer, volleyball and listening to her I-Pod.
Kamdyn loves to chase bugs, butterflies, and frogs. She also loves to fish,
play Barbies and play the piano.
Kallyn likes to play with her dolls and play GameBoy with her sisters. She
is also starting piano lessons this month.
The boys love trains, tractors, and cars.
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