Abby Bridgewater
Seven-year-old Abby Bridgewater knows Children's Hospital in Omaha all too well. It has been her home for much of the last four months.
One night in July, Abby got sick. Her mom, a registered nurse, thought she had a virus, so she took her to the doctor. The doctor couldn't determine what virus Abby had, so he suggested she be taken to Omaha for further testing.
The family from Kansas packed up and made the trip to Children's Hospital. The doctors ran several tests which revealed that it wasn't a virus that was making Abby sick. It was cancer. Abby was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) on July 20, 2005.
The diagnosis turned the family's world upside down. Abby's mom, Kristi, has rented an apartment in Omaha, while her husband Chris is at home with their other daughter Emma—three and a half hours away. They visit on the weekends. Abby doesn't get to go to school like other children. Her schoolwork is sent by her teacher in Kansas to a teacher at Children's Hospital, so that she doesn't fall behind. But those are just some of the most obvious changes; Abby has changed too.
"Abby has become a little more worldly and grown up because she's around adults so much," said Kristi. "She's given up a part of her childhood."
ALL is the most common type of leukemia diagnosed in children. It begins in the bones and moves quickly to the blood. Since her diagnosis, Abby has been admitted to Children's Hospital four times. She is currently in the second of five phases of her treatment. Once she begins the third, it will still be at least two years before her treatment is complete. So far, Abby has needed 21 blood product transfusions.
"There are 21 people out there who have donated blood and given one hour of their time to save my child's life," said Kristi. "It might not seem that big to them, but it certainly is to us. Unfortunately, there are thousands of Abbys."