Honored Kid

Evan Pina-White

Age 25
Evan Pina-White Kid Photo

Location

Eureka, MO, US

Diagnosis

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Date of Diagnosis

July 2010

Status

In remission

Treated At

St. John's Mercy Medical Center

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My Story

Our family's life was turned upside down on July 7, 2010, when our pediatrician called to break the news that Evan, our oldest child, had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. With no time to plan or prepare, we were thrown into the world of chemotherapy, radiation, doctor visits, and hospital stays. Evan's journey to diagnosis was unique in that the disease manifested itself in his teeth and jaws, causing his permanent teeth to come loose. After 10 dental visits in as many days, we were sent to the pediatrician for bloodwork. Initial bloodwork was clear; bloodwork 4 days later revealed the cause of his symptoms: leukemia. Evan battled through over 2 years of chemotherapy, three weeks of radiation, a surgery, countless blood transfusions, and hundreds of other medical tests. He lost 40 pounds and all of his hair. He was unable to participate in many of the things he loves due to side effects of treatment. Through it all, he worked hard to stay positive and focus on the outcome. We "counted down" these days: every transfusion was one less transfusion he needed to be well, every chemo treatment was one less treatment he needed to be well, every horrible bout with nausea was one less trial he would have to get well. Though he missed countless days of school, he maintained straight A's in all challenge classes with no help from a tutor! On September 7, 2012, we were blessed with the news we had so longed for: Evan finished treatment and was pronounced CANCER-FREE! Evan's hair has grown back, he's back at school every day, and can participate in almost all activities he loved prior to his battle. He still attends intense physical therapy sessions to regain his strength and coordination which were so strongly affected by the treatment. We count every day as a blessing and have learned to look for the positive...and we count down the days to when Evan will be considered CURED....

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