Beltz Family

Everyone loves the holiday season. Coming out of summer, when everyone heads back to school, it seems that we're whisked away into the magic of the season that starts with Halloween and doesn't end until after ringing in the new year. I love the holidays. But in 2008, our family had a hard season. Xander was the cutest little 18 month old Eeyore for trick or treating. He had just figured out that the donning of the costume was synonymous with candy in the bucket. At the time, Xander was just finishing up an antibiotic for an ear infection he had. The following evening, Xander was enjoying some of his treats and my husband and I noticed a developing chest cough. I had a little bit of medical knowledge, but I'm not a nurse. Still, I suspected maybe he had developed pneumonia as an after-effect of his ear infection. By Saturday afternoon, Xander was trying so hard to breath it looked like he was sucking his stomach all the way to his spine just to get enough air. That's when we decided to take Xander to the local ER, because now I was convinced he had developed pneumonia. At the ER, I explained the progression to the pediatrician on call that night. I was impressed with that doctor. He listened to me and thought what I thought was plausible. So he ordered bloodwork and a chest x-ray and we prepared to have Xander admitted for the next few days to recover from bacterial pneumonia. I'm so grateful to that doctor for listening to us. Because the real diagnosis was something we were not prepared for. Had Xander been dismissed with another round of antibiotics and sent out of the ER to follow-up with his family doctor the following week, my tale might have a very different ending.

                                          
 
Sitting in the local ER waiting for bloodwork to return with a screaming toddler isn't a very fun way to spend a Saturday evening. We were all exhausted, starving, and in emotional distress. When the results finally came back and revealed cancer, it felt like someone just punched me in the gut. Did that doctor I quickly learned to like really just give my son a death sentence? I couldn't believe it. But still, I got on the phone with my family. I called everyone and gave them an update. In the meantime, the medical staff in the ER was making arrangements to transfer Xander to the Children's Hospital at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
 
I remember following my husband down the hall of the 7th floor of Hershey Medical Center not knowing what to expect. I watched my sweet baby boy through teary eyes, asleep in my husband's arms and I was dying inside. I had no idea what he was in for. We still didn't have a definite diagnosis. We just knew he had leukemia. Over the course of the next 4 days we would find out not only the type he had, but what the treatment entailed. Xander had AML (Acute Mylogenous Leukemia), which can also spread from the blood to the spinal cord. It's never a good thing if that happens. However, we found Xander's leukemia fairly early so his chances were good. Unfortunately, it wasn't caught soon enough. He had cancer cells in his spinal fluid. Xander was facing 6 solid months of chemotherapy concoctions, surgery after surgery, procedure after procedure and spinal tap after spinal tap. He had multiple blood transfusions during each round of treatments. He developed underlying common illnesses related to chemo treatments. My heart broke daily for him. But through it all, Xander's innocence still allowed him to smile. Every day he broke out in an adorable toddler grin. He didn't know anything different. That's what I admire so much about the spirit of a child. He kept me afloat, but it was supposed to be the other way around.

The Four Diamonds Fund has been instrumental in keeping this family together. They offer emotional support, familial support, and most importantly, financial support.

The 2011 holiday season is upon us. Xander has been in remission for almost 3 years. Since treatment, he's had monthly check-ups that have decreased to only 3 check-ups a year currently. He's a normal, happy 4 year old who loves school and loves to learn. His laughter is contagious and I'm so proud to be his mom. He's an inspiration to so many people, and I love being able to share him. I'm grateful to every medical professional who was a part of Xander's treatment and recovery. Had it not been for so many dedicated people I would not be celebrating Xander's life today. In addition to the medical staff, my gratitude extends to the Four Diamonds Fund, who saw that Xander's treatments were paid for. And behind the scenes, the Penn State students who dance yearly in THON to support the fund. Without all of these organizations, I would have lost my son. There are not enough words to express the infinite gratitude I feel.        

My husband asked me the other day what I wanted this year for Christmas. I gave him the same answer I’ve given him for the past 3 years: "I have it already. I still have my son." And my son still inspires me. He inspires me to be a better person and mother. He inspires me to try to give my all back to those who've helped me. It's such an amazing feeling when you can give back, or give forward. I take advantage of every opportunity I have to give back to the so many wonderful charities that have helped our family. We house students every year for the canning trips, we make meals many times a year for the Ronald McDonald House, I speak to motivate kids who participate in mini-THONS and this year I'm helping my daughter who was selected for the committee for her school's very first mini-THON! Despite the hard time we had to live through, we are still a very blessed family.

As Xan continues to grow, and gets closer to his 5 year mark, I'm sure I'll be writing it again. And I can't wait for that day. :)

Blessings....

Dava Beltz