Good morning and happy September! September is Leukemia Awareness Month. Grandon likes to joke that he is “veryyy aware at the moment ;).” In honor of this month, I would love to share with you what I’ve learned about Grandon’s condition.
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that originates in the bone marrow. When abnormal/cancerous white blood cells are present, the body’s ability to protect itself against infection and disease is compromised. These abnormal cells multiply rapidly, crowding out healthy blood cells and causing a shortage of normal blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Though leukemia primarily affects the bone marrow and bloodstream, it can also spread to other areas of the body.
There are several different types of leukemia, including Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). The type of leukemia a patient is diagnosed with is determined by the cell of origin and how quickly the cancer progresses. Grandon was diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL).
- B-Cell: A type of white blood cell involved in the immune response.
- Acute: Indicates that the cancer is rapidly growing.
- Lymphoblastic: Refers to immature white blood cells, specifically lymphocytes.
- Leukemia: A cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
When we put those definitions together it means Grandon’s cancer started with the abnormal growth of immature B-cells in the bone marrow. These cancerous cells rapidly multiplied, spreading into the bloodstream and interfering with the function of other blood cells.
Grandon is currently being treated with chemotherapy at Rush Copley Hospital in Chicago. For most patients with ALL, treatment is divided into three phases (we are in phase 1!):
- Induction – The goal is to put leukemia into remission.
- Consolidation – The goal is to kill any leftover leukemia cells.
- Maintenance – The goal is to prevent any chance of relapse.
The color for leukemia awareness is ORANGE! You may notice a few touches of orange here and there on this blog to tie that in. I will be wearing all of my orange this month to let Grandon know that he is not alone in this. <3
I hope this information was helpful to you; let’s continue to rally around Grandon and uplift him in prayer!
Lots of love!
We love you Lizzie! We are lifting you up in prayer. We are punching satan in the mouth about trying to touch our boy.