Local Honored Hero Lily

Local Honored Hero Carson

"How did this begin? When did we notice anything different? Well, Kate was paler than normal. Then she started getting bruises on her legs that she could not explain. On Friday, April 6th, Kate had a low fever and did not seem like herself, just kind of tired. The next day, she still did not feel very good but she had dance pictures, so I was in the bathroom with her, spraying her hair into a slicked back bun and putting in bobby pins. She began to cry, then just whimper. It was so strange, because she never does this. I only remember her crying once since she stopped being a baby. I asked her what was wrong and she looked at me and said it just hurts and then she kind of went limp and passed out in my arms. I called for her dad, and he carried her to the bed. She stayed in a blank daze for about 20 seconds. Then she began to talk to us again. She said her waist felt tight and her ears were hot and ringing. We changed her out of her leotard and into a T-shirt and gym shorts, and her dad had everyone gather in the living room for prayer before he carried her to the car. We went to Urgent Care, where they drew blood and tested for mononucleosis. The doctor came back into our room and told us that her white blood cell count was extremely high and that we had to take her immediately to the emergency room. At the ER, they tested her blood again and also did an EKG and a chest x-ray. Three different doctors came and examined her and questioned us about her symptoms. Then one of them sat down and told us that she was not going to lead us on. Everything that the test showed pointed to leukemia. We were going to be admitted to the pediatric oncology wing of Memorial Hospital that night. 
    April 7th, 2018, the day our daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. Well, the official diagnosis would be 2 days later on Monday, but everyone was so sure. They did not waste time. She immediately had a blood transfusion. That night was a sleepless one. However, the whole time I felt covered in God's loving faithfulness. The doctors and nurses I met were amazing. My friends were texting me encouragement and letting me know they would do anything we needed. I knew my life was changed in a matter of hours, but it was going to be okay. We were on a “Big Adventure.” We were going to meet new people. We were going to learn. We were going to depend on God more than ever. We were going to be in this together as a family.  
    Kate faced having Leukemia like she did everything else: with trust in her loving God, and excitement for what she would get to do. She knew she would have hard days, but they wouldn’t be able to change the truth: She was a beloved daughter of God and her parents, and we have no need to fear. In her prayer journal that she wrote while living in the hospital, hooked up to a chemotherapy machine, she wrote: “Even in the hard and hurting, you are still my Father. Lord, I praise you even when I’m weak, and I thank you for everything you have done for me.”  
    On April 18th, Kate got a bacterial infection, and with her compromised immune system, that proved life-threatening. Her body went into septic shock. She was sedated and put on a ventilator, and she stayed that way for a week. At 1:30am on April 26th, she went home to heaven. Kate the Great's Big Adventure continues, just not on this earth. She is safe in the loving arms of Jesus. We praise God because He is so faithful, loving, and merciful. We thank God for His gift of nine amazing years with the most wonderful daughter. We had no bad days together, and we have no regrets. HIS strength and grace will get us through the sad times ahead. Because of what the Lord has done, we have full confidence in the future, and hope that, though weeping may endure for the night, JOY comes in the morning."

-Trish McKay 

I always try to put my best into whatever I do because I know Kate would have wanted that for all of us. Kate left a more significant mark on me than she will ever know. She reminds me daily to move through this life with kindness, joy, patience, strength, hard work, forgiveness, courage, faith, and most importantly love. I mourn Kate's loss, but I also celebrate her life by honoring her and her beliefs in every way I can.

For Kate 💚

This year, I’m proud to be a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student Visionaries of the Year Campaign, working to raise as much as possible for LLS’s mission.

As a global leader in the fight against blood cancer, LLS:

• Funds cutting-edge research leading to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine that are improving and saving the lives of patients
• Provides free education and support for blood cancer patients and families, including personalized, one-on-one support, assistance with identifying and enrolling in clinical trials, and more.
• Mobilizes thousands of advocates to drive policy changes that accelerate the development of new cancer treatments and break down barriers to care.

Please consider joining this fight by making a donation. All donations are greatly appreciated and tax-deductible. Please visit my website often and tell friends who would also like to donate!

Thanks to your support, my efforts will help ensure this generation is the last to see cancer.

On behalf of blood cancer patients everywhere, thank you!

For more information about LLS, please visit www.lls.org.