Going to the Sea, Diving, Camping: Two Years of Fighting Leukemia, Life is Still Wonderful!

 

Source: Sunflower Children Author: Sunflower Children Editor: Yangyuan Date: February 9, 2025  

 

From Arm Pain to Repeated High Fever  

 

Mysterious Illness Causes Anxiety  

 

Hannah's initial symptom was arm pain.  

 

In late December 2021, Hannah's mom heard another mom mention that her daughter had arm pain, which Hannah had also mentioned to her friends at kindergarten. However, Hannah was busy learning dance, and her family assumed it was just a strain or minor injury. In her carefree manner, Hannah never even mentioned it to her mom.  

 

Unexpectedly, a few days later, the pain suddenly intensified. She could not lift her arm, and it hurt so much that even touching it was unbearable. She couldn't sleep at all that night. Her family took her for X-rays twice, but nothing was found.  

 

Soon, New Year's Day 2022 arrived, and to cheer Hannah up, her mom took her skiing. The usually lively and active Hannah showed no excitement at all; instead, her spirits seemed worse. She had no appetite, was suddenly very sleepy, and insisted on being carried by adults. After returning from the ski resort, she continued to complain about her arm pain. However, since the previous two tests had shown normal results and there were no fevers or other symptoms, they decided to keep her at home for observation.  

 

A few days later, Hannah began to experience repeated high fevers. Her mom took her to a local hospital in Huzhou for a blood test, and the doctor diagnosed a viral infection. After being prescribed medication and returning home, Hannah still had a persistent fever, so her family took her back to the hospital. At this point, Hannah had swollen lymph nodes on both sides of her neck. Based on the ultrasound results, it was preliminarily determined to be infectious mononucleosis caused by EB virus. This time, Hannah was admitted for treatment. After starting medication, her fever subsided, and her spirits improved. The whole family was happy, thinking this was the end, but little did they know that it was just the beginning...  

 

Before becoming ill, Hannah went skiing with her dad  

 

On the morning of January 14, 2022, Hannah's mom was called into the doctor's office. The doctor said Hannah's hemoglobin was only 80, and her platelets were at 74. They suspected a blood disorder and recommended a bone marrow biopsy. Since her condition had improved, how could it possibly be a blood disease? Hannah's mom became anxious and quickly discussed it with her family, ultimately deciding to seek treatment in Hangzhou.  

 

They set off right away! After completing the discharge paperwork in the morning, the three of them took the high-speed train from Huzhou to Hangzhou in the afternoon and headed straight to Zhejiang Children's Hospital to see a specialist. After redoing the blood test, Hannah was immediately admitted. The doctor said, "We must do a bone marrow biopsy on Monday." If Hannah's mom had a faint sense of unease when the Huzhou hospital suggested a biopsy, at this moment, she knew things were "not looking good."  

 

After a long day of traveling without rest, that night, Hannah settled into the hematology ward. The hallways were filled with informational posters about leukemia, and the inpatient area was scattered with little "bald heads" and faces distorted from steroid use. With her full head of hair and energetic personality, Hannah felt completely out of place. That night, her mom spent her first sleepless night.  

 

The next day, Saturday, Hannah's grandparents rushed to Hangzhou. The family divided up their tasks: her mom stayed in the ward with Hannah while the others anxiously waited outside since they couldn’t enter the room. During the day, she accompanied Hannah for treatments, and at night, unable to sleep, Hannah's mom read various informational materials in the hallway: pain in the limbs, pale complexion, bruises, cold and fever... All these symptoms matched Hannah's, and the accumulating signs slowly eroded her mom's hope. Even when Hannah's mom explained these signs to her family over the phone, no one believed her child had leukemia. They reassured her, and her grandma even made a wish.  

 

Finally, they made it to Monday. Hannah's mom said she would always remember the heart-wrenching cries of her child during the bone marrow biopsy that morning; it felt like her heart was bleeding.  

 

After it was over, she wiped her tears and hugged her child back to the ward, thinking that if they could endure this pain, as long as the results were good, everything would be fine! But fate had other plans. Less than half an hour later, the doctor came to speak with Hannah's mom. At this point, although she had an inkling of what was coming, she still subconsciously thought it was impossible. When the doctor finally said "leukemia," her mind went blank, and even now, she cannot remember what the doctor said afterward.  

 

During the pandemic, only one person could accompany the patient, so Hannah's mom had to receive this news alone. After stepping out of the hematology ward, she first called Hannah's grandparents to inform them, and then she saw Hannah's dad sitting in the stairwell. She rushed out, crying and embracing her husband, telling him the diagnosis, and they both wept together.  

 

No matter how devastating the news was, reality didn't allow for much reflection, as her child was waiting for her. She composed herself and returned to the ward, smiling at her daughter, saying, "Sweetheart, you'll need to stay in the hospital for treatment, so we'll be living here for a while." Hannah obediently replied, "Okay, Mommy."  

 

 

Hannah's treatment plan involved intensive chemotherapy (administered in the hospital) combined with maintenance therapy (oral chemotherapy at home), with each phase lasting six months.  

 

On the day of her diagnosis, Hannah began the induction therapy phase, starting her first week on steroids. The doctor warned that steroids could increase her appetite, worsen her temper, and even lead to depression. However, her mom never imagined the steroids would have such a powerful effect!  

 

A few days later, Hannah began eating frequently and was constantly asking for food. The little sweetheart who used to follow her mom around calling her whenever she got angry now showed no reaction when her mom warned her, "If you ask for more food, Mommy will get mad." At night, she even dreamt of food.  

 

As chemotherapy was about to begin, Hannah cut her long hair and became a "beautiful little bald girl." After a week of induction therapy, she started her chemotherapy, officially beginning the fight against leukemia.  

 

The potency of the chemotherapy "instantly knocked the child down," and a variety of side effects followed, including vomiting and gastrointestinal reactions. In comparison, her darkening skin tone became the least concerning symptom. Under the continuous effects of the medication, Hannah became easily irritable and stopped smiling. During the first round of intensive chemotherapy, she didn't call "Mom" for almost a month. This version of Hannah felt incredibly strange to her mom. Even knowing it was the medication causing these changes, her mom felt a deep sense of injustice, and her complex emotions were hard to articulate.  

 

After a grueling treatment, good news came 15 days later with the results of the repeat bone marrow biopsy! The results showed that all eight colors were clear, indicating that Hannah was very responsive to the chemotherapy, and her mom finally breathed a sigh of relief.  

 

By the end of the first round of intensive chemotherapy, they had been in the hospital for a month. Hannah's leukemia cells had cleared, and the genetic tests showed no abnormal genes. The final risk level was classified as "low risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia," which meant that the road ahead for Hannah and her family would be a bit easier.  

 

A month later, Hannah's dad came to pick her up for her discharge from the hospital. When he saw his daughter again, she looked like a "puffy steamed bun," with a round face, but her limbs were thin and weak, and she could only sit in a wheelchair. He couldn't recognize her and thought, "How did my beautiful daughter change so much?"  

 

During treatment, Hannah loved playing with puzzles  

 

The Last Round of Intensive Chemotherapy Ends  

 

Hannah Becomes a Primary School Student  

 

After a week of careful nurturing at their rental home, Hannah and her mom returned to the hospital. The chemotherapy had severely impacted Hannah's liver function, with levels reaching almost 1000, while normal levels are between 30-50. Her white blood cell count was near zero, and her hemoglobin and platelets were very low. This meant she would need daily injections to boost her white blood cell count, platelet transfusions, and blood transfusions, resulting in nearly 30 needle marks on her arm at one point.  

 

Due to her low white blood cell count, Hannah was at a high risk of infections and fevers, with severe infections potentially life-threatening. Her mom didn’t dare to be careless and made sure all care was as sterile as possible. Thanks to her mom's efforts, Hannah did not experience any severe infections and safely completed her first treatment cycle. They were also able to return to their hometown for a visit!  

 

The medication for the second treatment cycle was Cytarabine, which is particularly potent. Even while Hannah was nestled in a laminar flow bed, she still developed a fever. Fortunately, she had an E. coli infection, which was manageable with medication. After a few days of treatment, the infection was controlled, and after a week of recovery, her blood counts slowly improved, and her mom took Hannah home victorious once again!  

 

Hannah's mom said, "Looking back at the treatment process, the child was quite resilient! Although there were certainly some side effects and infections, they were successfully managed. So we consider ourselves lucky... Of course, this is also thanks to the meticulous care from me and Hannah's grandma."  

 

Days quietly slipped away between hospital stays and discharges. After a year and a half, they completed the last round of intensive chemotherapy, and Hannah officially became a primary school student. As long as her health allowed, her mom encouraged her to go to school and live the life she was meant to have.  

 

On February 7, 2024, Hannah successfully completed her treatment, and everything began to improve!  

 

During Treatment, the Family Went Camping  

 

All the Crises Took Place Internally,  

 

Fighting Leukemia While Parenting  

 

Hannah's mom said, "After two years of treatment, from despair to confusion, and then to maturity in facing all difficulties, I have also grown alongside my child."  

 

When she first entered the hematology ward, it felt like stepping into a scene from TV or online. Due to the pandemic, entry and exit were strictly controlled. Hannah's grandma took care of the daily needs of both Hannah and her mom at the rental home, delivering meals and doing laundry, while Hannah's mom provided the best care and protection for her child in the ward.  

 

During the first week of hospitalization, Hannah's mom said she felt like a spinning top, constantly moving yet not feeling tired. In the mornings, before Hannah woke up, she would clean the area around the bed with disinfecting wipes; the floor had to be sprayed with disinfectant and then wiped down with clean water. Dishes had to be scalded with boiling water inside and out, then carefully organized. Once Hannah was awake, her mom would attend to her every need, helping with washing up, meals, emotional support, and various tests... At night, when Hannah was asleep, she would seek advice from other moms on how to interpret blood tests and biochemical results, understand the side effects of chemotherapy, and learn how to reduce the risk of infection. She was always busy, even to the point of having nosebleeds from exhaustion at night.  

 

As the days and nights passed, "leukemia" transformed from the three words on a diagnosis report into every test, every bottle of medication, and every meal. Every cry and silence from Hannah was a reminder. Hannah's mom didn’t have time to focus on her own emotions; even though she hadn’t fully accepted it psychologically, she was already actively involved in the fight against leukemia, determined to help Hannah "break through!"  

 

The only time she could relax during the day was when she returned to her folding chair after washing up, allowing herself to indulge in bad emotions for a while because during the day, "all the crises were dealt with internally, and there was no one to confide in."  

 

During Treatment, Went to Xishuangbanna  

 

Hannah's mom said that during the two years of treatment, she did everything she could to make her daughter happy and let her enjoy life as much as possible. Therefore, whenever Hannah's health allowed, her mom would take her out to play, travel, and interact with friends.  

 

As Hannah's treatment process was relatively smooth and her condition stable, compared to other little warriors fighting leukemia, she had friends, delicious food, outings, and many important moments in her growth throughout the treatment.  

 

For instance, after returning to her hometown, Hannah played with her little friends who came to visit her, celebrated Children’s Day back at kindergarten, participated in her graduation activities, and celebrated birthdays and Christmas with her buddies. Her parents also took her out to places like West Lake, Xishuangbanna, Shanghai Disneyland, to see the ocean, go diving, and camping...  

 

Many moms around Hannah's mom asked, "How come your mindset is so positive? How can you take your child to do these things? Aren't you afraid?" She replied that she also felt scared and had considered the possible consequences, but she hoped that, in a manageable way, her child could feel that she was no different from other kids. Being happy and joyful is also a crucial factor for healing.  

 

"Children's nature is to be innocent and carefree, so I let her maintain that attitude. To keep her happy, I did everything I could!"  

 

Hannah's mom said, "Looking back now, I truly want to thank those who helped me; they saved me from taking many detours. I’ve always felt that having endured the rain, it's an honor to be able to hold an umbrella for others! I hope this story of courage can bring some comfort and hope to others who are struggling."  

 

Went Diving After Completing Treatment  

 

Post-Interview Notes  

 

Before the interview, Hannah's mom hesitated because, compared to other children's experiences fighting leukemia, Hannah was lucky. She had a low-risk type, and her treatment went smoothly, without many hardships.  

 

In fact, the severity of the illness may vary, and the process may have its ups and downs, but the courage of families to protect their children is the same. Every parent's bravery and mindset are worthy of our admiration!  

 

Personal experiences shared do not constitute medical advice and cannot replace a doctor's individualized judgment for specific patients. If you need medical attention, please seek a reputable hospital.  

 

Narrated by | Hannah's Mom  

 

Text Organized by | Wang Yuan  

 

Edited by | uu  

 

Typeset by | Xia Yu  

 

Proofread by | Dog Er