Childhood cancer is possibly the worst kind of disease to affect our little ones. Our hearts break when we read cases of kids suffering from cancer. This story highlights possibly one of the youngest victims of childhood cancer – a tiny newborn just 14 days old.
Now, her mum is sharing how she blames herself for "giving" her baby cancer while she was still in the womb.
She Was Diagnosed with Childhood Cancer at Only 14 Days Old
Just two weeks after she was born, Annaleise Sisneros was already going through numerous treatments in order to help cure her cancer. Doctors had diagnosed her with leukemia soon after she was born.
One of the first symptoms in the newborn that indicated something was wrong was a rash. Doctors initially thought that her rashes were caused by an allergic reaction. However, the results of a blood test showed that it was in fact, leukemia.
Brandy Sisneros, her mother, shares, "We assumed she developed it in the womb, as she had the bumps when she was born. So we are assuming she had it while I was pregnant.
"They don’t know how she got it. No one knows why it happened… it is just one of those things," she continues.
Brandy added that she felt guilty when she found out that her daughter had leukemia. "Maybe it was something, a chemical I was using. Once you’re pregnant everything you expose to yourself, you expose to a baby."
Her daughter was born normally, and there were no signs of the childhood cancer right away. However, she started to develop small spots and bumps on her skin.
"Then, about five days afterwards, she got these blisters. They were kind of like chicken pox. They were bruise-colored. And a few of them started coming from underneath the skin to above the skin," Brandy shares.
Eventually, doctors had treat little Annaleise with chemotherapy, which was very difficult for her and her family. At one point, she was under the risk of losing her toes or a leg because of the fluids they pumped in her. The tiny baby also lost her hair.
Amazingly, little Annaleise made a full recovery!
"Now she is back home and we are so proud of her," Brandy said. "During chemo, they gave her medicine to keep her comfortable – she wasn’t strong enough to take a bottle. It took a toll on her; you could tell when she wasn’t feeling good."
"But, even during the worst periods, didn’t really cry. She’s a superstar."
Childhood Cancer: Should You Be Worried?
Childhood cancer is rare, and what happened in Annaleise's case doesn't commonly happen to newborns. What's worrisome is that moms and dads won't always know if their child will be safe from cancer, since it's not yet known what causes cancer in children.
Still, it's important for parents to know the risk factors of childhood cancer.
- Exposure to radiation. Being exposed to radiation has been linked to certain types of cancer in children. However, more studies need to be conducted to understand this better.
- Cancer can also be genetic. Some kids can inherit DNA mutations from their parents, and these can result in cancer.
- Sometimes, kids can spontaneously acquire cancer through an acquired mutation. This happens when cells don't divide properly, and they start creating cancer cells in the body.
Whatever the cause, it's important for parents to always consult their child's doctor if they think that their child might be ill. It's always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to your child's health.
Sources: American Cancer Society, Fox News
Photo screencapped from: Facebook
READ: Signs of leukemia in children
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore