- Neil Wilmarth,
Kailey's brother
NORMAL- Beep. Beep. Beep. The thin green line climbs across the monitor with every frail beat of the heart – the silence of the room offset only by this faint noise and the slow release of air from the breathing machine. In the bed lies a delicate girl, skin void of all color, her limbs constrained, motionless – hiding the ravage fight that rages on within her thirteen-year-old body. Her family sits at her bedside, eyes red and unable to forge one more tear, bodies wrecked with the stress and toil of fate’s cruel Sunday surprise.
This scene that is a nightmare for any loved one to imagine has become a reality of the Wilmarth family. Youngest of three, Kailey Wilmarth has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia (ALL). The cancer is the most common among children, representing one-fifth of all the cancers diagnosed in children under the age of 15, according to the National Cancer Institute.
ALL is a cancer of the white blood cells, cells which normally fight infection within the body. In ALL, white blood cells that are infected continuously replicate, replacing healthy, normal cells in the bone marrow.
However, it was just a couple months ago when this bedridden teen was a vibrant, healthy adolescent, unaware of what havoc lie within.
“All summer Kailey ran cross country, participated in volleyball camps, and practiced her pole vaulting with no medical problems in sight,” Shelli Wilmarth, Kailey’s mother, said.
“It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with mono that her body started getting weaker and taking a toll on her life,” she added.
Kailey’s parents decided to take her into the hospital one month ago after she wasn’t performing like her usual self during cross country runs.
“Kailey has always been a great long distance runner and had worked hard all summer to build up her endurance and stamina. She was originally in the fastest of the three heat groups for her team. We started having concerns when she began finishing last each run, even after she had been moved to the slowest group,” Gary Wilmarth, Kailey’s father, said.
With one prick of the finger, Kailey’s doctor confirmed that her performance decline and lack of energy was from mononucleosis, a viral infection that causes fever, extreme fatigue, and weight loss, among other symptoms.
Little did Kailey and her family know at this point what drastic changes lay shortly ahead of them. Three weeks of bed rest and minor snacking here and there left the 5-foot-6 inch frame of the teenager 15 pounds lighter on an already lanky build.
“She was severely tired and had no real desire to eat and was thus losing the weight,” Shelli Wilmarth said. “However, weight loss is fairly common with mono. It wasn’t until she started vomiting several times in the middle of the night that we started to be alarmed.”
Following a night of interrupted sleep and stomach pains, Kailey’s parents took her to Prompt Care who directed the family to the Memorial Hospital emergency room in Springfield, a half-hour commute from their home in Chatham.
When Kailey entered the ER that night her skin was a pale white, tinted with a sallow yellow hue. Her lips had lost all of their color, blending in with the teeth that peeked through the gap of her swollen, chapped lips.
Doctors analyzed Kailey’s blood work and found extensive clotting and disproportionate platelet counts, leading to Kailey’s diagnosis of ALL. From Memorial she was transported by ambulance to St. John’s Children’s Hospital, which specializes in pediatric cancers.
Since the first night of chaos that involved several blood transfusions lasting four hours, a spinal tap, shots of chemotherapy treatment and breathing and feeding tubes, Kailey has begun to show progress with her white blood cell counts and heart rate. However, her weight that continues to plummet, despite an insulin tube that she is connected to, remains a serious issue.
“We are aware that we still have a long, tough road ahead of us, but after everything that has happened in this short span of a week I think our family, especially Kailey, is strong enough to take this head on. She is a fighter and I know she will come out of this, I have to believe,” Neil Wilmarth, Kailey’s brother, said.
However, the Wilmarths are not alone in their struggle. According to msnbc.com, an estimated 145,000 people are diagnosed each year with some form of cancer in the United States, reaching up to 25 million people globally. Of those diagnosed, the American Cancer Society estimates a total of 1,500 deaths per day within the United States.
With such a serious issue touching the lives of so many people nationally, what options do students who find themselves in a similar situation have to turn to?
Luckily, when crisis strikes close to the heart, students at ISU have professional resources that are just a short walk from their classes or quick phone call away.
“When one first hears the news that a loved one has cancer, they might have a range of type and intensity of emotions. Some need immediate support. We have on-call counselors on staff for walk-in appointments when students are in crisis. They will talk with the student, provide support and get them connected to various community resources if needed,” Anna Rudroff, a Pre-Doctoral Intern at ISU’s Student Counseling Services, said.
“I personally would recommend that a person seek support from others, SCS, friends, family members or romantic partners and remind themselves that they are not alone. Some people find comfort in researching the particular type of cancer, because having answers and knowledge helps them feel better. It might also be helpful to clarify with your family member what they need from you, so you can set up expectations and boundaries from the beginning,” Rudroff said.
Nonetheless, in this time of worrying and caring for those dear to us, people shouldn’t lose sight of themselves and their own needs.
“Taking care of yourself is essential. You cannot be a good support for others if you are not in a good place yourself. You are not being selfish by taking time for yourself or doing things to pamper yourself during this time,” Rudroff said.
Since her diagnosis, the surrounding community of relatives, friends, co-workers and even strangers has joined in to offer help to the Wilmarths. A fund has been setup in Kailey’s name at Bank & Trust in Chatham for anyone who wishes to donate, as well as a website, Caringbridge.org, which updates viewers on Kailey’s daily progress.
But amidst all of the loving support and prayers, Kailey still remains in the intensive care unit. She is too weak to talk so she sits quietly in her bed, the background noise of the Disney channel now slightly drowning out the beeping of the heart monitor to her left. Her parents still sit faithfully by her side, hands clasped around their child’s frail fingers, faces forging smiles of courage. However, in spite of the battle that lay before her and the scares that she has overcome, worry has not set into Kailey’s face. Rather her expression is one of empowerment- because today, despite the two-year-long fight ahead of her, she is alive.