Recommendations
Receiving an AML diagnosis for your child is likely the most difficult journey of your life and we’d like to help in some small way. On this site our goal is to offer information to help you and your child.
We also currently have a list of resource facilities that we recommend and are continually working on expanding our list.
We also currently have a list of resource facilities that we recommend and are continually working on expanding our list.
Top 6 Children’s Cancer Hospitals
Leading Experts in AML
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Frequently Asked Questions
Research Summary |
Here to Help
If you don’t find the answer you are looking for here, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. We’re here to help. |
Important Lessons We Learned
Be your child’s biggest advocate. Ask for a second or even third opinion if you need more information or are questioning your doctor’s advice.
Max was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in July of 2000. One month prior, he had received a clean bill of health from his pediatrician. In reality, Max had been having symptoms of leukemia for almost two years but our doctors dismissed them as common kid occurrences. Bone pain in his legs was typical “growing pains”, bruising on his legs was “because he was an active boy”, his basic blood counts looked fine and he wasn’t running any fevers. It’s true that most times these
“symptoms” are common ailments of kids but not this time.
Max was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in July of 2000. One month prior, he had received a clean bill of health from his pediatrician. In reality, Max had been having symptoms of leukemia for almost two years but our doctors dismissed them as common kid occurrences. Bone pain in his legs was typical “growing pains”, bruising on his legs was “because he was an active boy”, his basic blood counts looked fine and he wasn’t running any fevers. It’s true that most times these
“symptoms” are common ailments of kids but not this time.
- Always trust your gut feeling especially when it comes to your child. If you feel like something isn’t right with your child or if something your doctor is telling you doesn’t seem accurate, pay attention to those feelings.
- If at all possible, go to the top medical center even if it means leaving home. Find a facility that has treated many cases of your child’s disease. Some forms of leukemia are rarer and it’s important to find doctors that have experience with your child’s illness and know how to treat it successfully.
- Organizations like the Ronald McDonald house provide “a home away from home” for families of seriously ill children who travel far to receive treatment.
- If your child is neutropenic (without an immune system due to low white blood cell counts) which they most likely will happen at some point, be sure the hospital is taking the right precautions and are set up to handle neutropenic children.
- Know what questions to ask your doctor once your child has been diagnosed. Be actively involved in your child’s care. Doctors and nurses can make mistakes too...they are only human. Again, you need to be your child’s biggest advocate.
- Friends and family want to help. Allow them to help. As someone once told us, it makes others feel good to help and they don’t know what else to do for you.
- Consider alternative forms of medicine like healers and naturopathic medicine as an adjunct to your child’s care.
- One of the biggest lessons is to love and cherish your child every day of their life because you never know how long or short that may be.
