Weighing in at 9 pounds, 10 ounces, Chrisean was big from the start. He had so many rolls that his family called him the “marshmallow baby.” As a child, he enjoyed dressing up in a suit and tie, especially to go to church. At the age of 13, he stood an imposing six feet tall and weighed 250 pounds. When he stopped eating, his mother, Machelle, knew something was wrong.
“He was complaining about body aches and pain everywhere,” Machelle said. “We went to the doctor several times and came home with different pain medicines. But no one could tell us what was wrong.”
One day, Chrisean called Machelle from school because his chest hurt badly. She took him to the children’s hospital, where the doctor pulled down his eyelid and noticed his skin was nearly white. When he ordered a blood test, the staff found a new problem – Chrisean was terrified of needles. He was so big that the nurses had to get two men and a security officer to hold him down to draw blood. The blood test revealed that Chrisean had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
“When the doctor told us, I was confident that he would be alright,” Machelle said. “He had a game plan and said it was very treatable.”
During his hospital stays, Chrisean questioned everything. He researched every chemo he was to be given and asked questions of doctors, nurses, and anyone who provided care. A little more than a year into his three-year treatment, Chrisean developed a cough that turned into a fever. His breathing got progressively worse until his medical team decided he needed to be on a respirator. Things descended rapidly from that point. With his immune system depleted because of chemotherapy, Chrisean’s body was unable to fight off a virus.
“Chrisean called everyone in the family and asked them to come to the hospital,” Machelle said. “I think he understood that he was at the end. He got to say goodbye and tell us all he loved us before he passed.”
Chrisean passed on August 25, 2020.
“We met CURE in the hospital with meals, and CURE supported our family at Christmas,” Machelle shared. “But I didn’t know CURE would still be here for us after Chrisean died.”
Machelle has attended CURE’s Hope and Healing bereavement retreats and regularly enjoys gatherings with other bereaved mothers, as well as CURE’s Quiet Heroes luncheon.
“I just want to thank you. Hope and Healing has been a saving grace for me,” she said. “A lot of times, I didn’t want to exist in this world without my baby, and most people don’t know what it is like to lose a piece of your heart. It was a breath of fresh air being around other people who know this pain. I still need help and support, but I can help moms who are new to grief.”
Ally received her first dose of chemotherapy within 16 hours of diagnosis. Over the two years of treatment that followed, Ally struggled with almost every possible side effect. She suffered three life-threatening infections, temporarily lost the ability to walk, and struggled to rebuild her immune system after every round of chemo.
“She didn’t suffer from too many side effects until she reached the long-term maintenance phase, which is supposed to be easier,” said Stacy. “She had more hospital stays and a lung infection that was difficult to treat. Going on our wish trip changed everything for her.”
“Daniel’s freshman year and part of his sophomore year were from home because of COVID,” Felicia said. “He could only do partial days during his junior year because of treatment and finally got to go back to school full time for his senior year. He was very ready to get back to his friends and routine.”
I’m so proud of him.
We walked into the hospital and Levi began having what I can only explain as a panic attack. He clung to me and wouldn’t let go. He was terrified to go back to the 5th floor where he was diagnosed. He kept saying, “Mama, don’t you remember how bad it is there? It’s my worst nightmare. Mama I already lived my worst nightmare.”
