Elise Goertz, 6
Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma
Elise Goertz absolutely loves school. So
when her mother picked her up one day and she was tired and ready to
go, it was obvious something was wrong with the normally energetic
child.
Her mother, Bethany Kram, noticed the
unusual behavior — but was not surprised. She had learned, hours
earlier, that her daughter had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The entire family; Bethany, step-father
Jeff Kram, and 10-year-old brother Michael, all played a role in
Elise’s recovery. When it came time for a necessary bone marrow
transplant, Michael was her willing bone marrow donor.
Through the support of family and the
Texas Children’s Hospital staff, Elise was considered cancer-free as
of November 2007. When at her best the 6-year-old enjoys playing
with dolls, riding bikes and being around people.
It wasn’t easy on any level, but there are
things that families can do to manage a little better, said Bethany.
Bethany tells other parents who are going
through the same situation to ask a lot of questions. “You can never
ask too many questions. The doctors here will always take the time
to help you. The nurses here can always tell if you’re having a bad
day. They would come up and give me a hug when they knew I needed
one,” she said. “When you feel like you’re going to give up, just
look at your baby—and then you will know you can’t. They just mean
too much.”
Bethany reminds the community how
important it is to give to causes such as this one. “The Radiothon
donations, even $15 a month, make all of the difference in the
world.”
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