Peyton Busch,
4
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Brandon Busch had just boarded a plane,
took a three hour flight and landed at his destination for a
business meeting. But when he got the phone call that his 3-year-old
son had leukemia. He immediately got back on a plane and flew home.
His son, Peyton, was the priority.
The now 4-year-old is in the maintenance
phase of a three year cancer treatment program. Times have changed.
When the family first got the diagnosis, they feared the worse. Now
they are expecting only the best.
Busch has been through so much. In
addition to the cancer, he has had neuropathy, a disease of the
nervous system, which has caused him difficulty walking. Busch’s
mother, Carrie, said while in the early stages of treatment he
missed interaction with other children and is especially excited now
to be back in school, feeling normal and not having to endure the
stares of others.
Peyton’s illness has had a different
impact on each person in his family.
Peyton’s mother has taken on positive
methods of stress management, including running, to cope. Running
acts as a release and temporary escape from her son’s illness. She
recently ran the half marathon for the Leukemia/Lymphoma society.
Carrie also reads books about cancer to
his younger brother Braiden’s class. The books helped the children
to understand why Peyton’s appearance would change as he received
treatment.
She also encourages everyone to give to
the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, stressing how important
donations are. She knows first hand since Peyton has needed blood
platelets before.
“Life will never be the same, but that is
okay because we are all much stronger now,” said Carrie. “Texas
Children’s Hospital makes the hardest thing you have to go through a
little easier.”
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