#RallyKid Charlotte's Fundraiser

Rally Kid Charlotte's Story

Charlotte was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia on September 5, 2024, and to say our family was devastated is an understatement. Looking back, her symptoms appeared gradually over a few months, often disappearing as quickly as they came. During the summer of 2024, we noticed Charlotte was bruising more easily. Soon after, she began complaining of what we assumed were growing pains. Over time, the discomfort worsened until it became difficult for her to get out of bed in the mornings. She also experienced occasional fevers, night sweats, increased fatigue, and became noticeably pale. One moment that stands out was at a school function when a small scrape bled far more than expected. All of these signs could have been explained away. The fevers started just as her sister returned to school, so we assumed it was a virus, and the leg pain seemed typical for an active child. Charlotte’s father has a family history of lymphoma, so when we finally took her to the pediatrician, blood work was ordered. Since Charlotte also had strep throat during that visit, we planned to wait until her antibiotics were finished before doing labs. That evening, however, everything changed. Charlotte’s condition declined drastically in less than eight hours. She was in visible distress, complaining of headaches, stomach pain, and leg pain, and she barely ate all day. Jesse and I agreed he should take her to the ER, a decision that began a journey we could never have imagined. After a few days at CHOA, Charlotte was officially diagnosed with B-cell ALL. While we were grateful to finally have answers, the road since then has been incredibly difficult. She endures daily pain, intense medication-induced food cravings, and the loneliness of being isolated from friends during cold and flu season. At just two years old, she couldn’t fully understand what was happening. During induction, the first phase of chemotherapy, she went weeks without playing with her toys, seeing her friends, or spending time with our dogs. Her hair fell out, and her face and belly became swollen from treatment. Still, every so often, her bright, joyful personality would peek through, reminding us of the days before cancer entered our lives. Charlotte is now in maintenance, which is a huge milestone, and she should ring the bell in November 2026. Even in maintenance, we have faced neutropenia, body aches, migraines, hospitalizations for a soft tissue infection, a busted eardrum, surgery for new ear tubes, and periods of isolation that continue to this day.