MEET OUR KIDS

Jessica

“In 24 hours, our lives changed forever,” says Stacey Dorney of Warwick.

On May 31, 2000, Stacey took her ten year-old Jessica to see the doctor. A competitive swimmer who had never missed a day of school, Jessica had been complaining of a recurring pain that everyone thought was a pulled muscle. According the Stacey, “We went to the doctor at 3:00, and two hours later we got a call saying there was ‘something acute’ in Jessie’s blood. We had to go to the hospital right away. By 8:30 that night we learned that Jessie had leukemia.”

Like most childhood cancer patients, Jessica was hospitalized immediately. The next day, she had a port put in so she could receive chemotherapy.

Unfortunately, Jessica had severe allergic reactions to the chemo. Her treatments caused seizures, swelling, and hives. Spinal taps were accompanied by two weeks of headaches that prevented her from attending school. New chemo drugs had to be found, and special home nursing was required prior to difficult procedures.

Other infections also plagued Jessie. Due to her weakened immune system, she caught mono last April, and in December she was diagnosed with salmonella poisoning, which she caught by touching a pet turtle. Treatment was especially difficult due to her many allergies to medications. Jessica missed school again, this time from December 21 until February 8.

In all, Jessica has spent more than 50 nights in the hospital since her diagnosis, and she has been treated in The Tomorrow Fund Clinic every week for the past 2½ years. “Whenever Jessie was in the hospital, I was always there,” says her mom. “I have to stay strong because she’s my daughter and I have to get her through this no matter what.” Jessica’s dad, Jim, has devoted extra time to making sure that younger brother, Jimmy, maintains as normal a routine as possible as the family copes with Jessica’s illness.

Support from family, friends, neighbors, and Jessica’s school have been crucial to the family. Support also comes from Deepa, a Brown University medical student who was matched with Jessica through The Tomorrow Fund’s “Buddy Program.” Deepa has shared all of Jessica’s ups and downs and has become “like one of the family.”

As a member of The Tomorrow Fund’s “Teen Group,” Jessica bonds with and learns from those who can truly understand – other teens with cancer. She has never missed a meeting.

Update: Jess finished Chemo treatment in 2003 and is now cancer free.

We’ve been helping children with cancer for 20 years!

There is a child with cancer in every city and town in RI and nearby MA who is being helped by The Tomorrow Fund.

Last year, children with cancer spent more than 2,500 nights in Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

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