Today, Kyla seems like a typical third grader. Thanks to a quick diagnosis and surgery by Geisinger specialists, she can be.
Kyla packs up her blue book bag, gives her pup, Miley, a tight hug and a kiss, and heads for the bus stop. She’s ready for another day at Schuylkill Haven Elementary. “She looks forward to going to school,” says Mom, Kristi. “She loves riding the bus.” For many parents, watching a child head happily off to school and to play is simply part of the daily routine. For Kyla’s parents, such activities bring a special joy. Six years ago, Kyla’s routine included riding a big red wagon through the halls at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville. Her destination: cancer therapy. A Memorial Day like no otherKyla’s cancer diagnosis came about quite suddenly. When she was not even two years old, Kristi and her husband, Joe, found themselves rushing their baby girl to Geisinger. | Kyla, Miracle Child
Kyla, 2007 miracle child, faces every challenge with a smile -- even when she battled a rare cancer. |
Tests of a tumor found on Kyla’s kidney days before showed it might be an aggressive, life-threatening cancer. Geisinger specialists recommended that it be removed immediately.
“The surgeon called us personally,” Kristi recalls. “That surprised me, but it was that important.”
Within hours, Kyla arrived at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. The Geisinger team took her to surgery.
“It was a lot to take in, but everybody was so kind,” Kristi recalls with appreciation. “They were always just right there for you. We knew we were in the right place.”
Surgeons removed the entire tumor plus one of Kyla’s kidneys. That decision quite likely saved Kyla’s life.
Diagnosis: aggressive cancer
Doctors, nurses and family all hoped, perhaps even expected, that the tumor was a common, benign (harmless) type. Instead, biopsy revealed that it was an aggressive clear cell sarcoma. Kyla was one of only two dozen people in North America each year to get it. It can spread quickly to the lungs, liver, bone, and brain. In the four months since Kyla’s regular check-up, her tumor had already grown into a four-inch mass.
“When they told me that the surgery was successful—that they got it all and that it had not yet spread—that was the best news we could get,” Kristi says. “Our whole family was relieved.”
Because specialists at Geisinger had removed the tumor so quickly, Kyla’s chances for a long life were great. However, to be as sure as possible that the cancer would not return, Kyla’s physicians prescribed six months of chemotherapy.
Lasting friendships, meaningful partnerships
During these frequent visits for chemotherapy, Kyla and the family got to know and appreciate Janet Weis Children’s Hospital and the staff.
“Kyla really loved riding that red wagon from her room to the turtle pond in the lobby, and we spent a lot of time in the playroom on her floor,” Kristi says.
The whole family developed great friendships with several of the staff. Kyla still talks about “Angel,” her nickname for a nurse named Angela. Her parents remain in awe of the personal, caring attention of Kyla’s doctors that continues today.
“When we see her doctor out in the community, he asks about her by name,” Kristi says. “And after Kyla’s yearly blood tests, he calls us personally with the results. I’ve never heard of a doctor anywhere else who does that.
“When you remember my child, you’re showing you care. That’s so important to us,” she says.
Blessings for the future
Today at age eight, Kyla’s daily routine is much like that of other third graders. She loves playing sports, romping with her pet dog and two cats, and playing with her younger brother, Bryce. In school, science is a new and budding interest, Kristi says.
“I like to pretend that I’m a doctor,” Kyla reports. “I like doctors.”
Her parents share the sentiment. The physicians and staff at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital made it possible for their daughter to have a normal childhood and a bright future.
“Looking back at all that’s happened, we feel very blessed,” says Kyla’s dad, Joe. “Thank God we went to Geisinger.”
