Meet Paisley, she is 4-years-old and currently battling B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Paisley’s Story

In 2018, my then-3-years-old Paisley was diagnosed with b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In the same week of her diagnosis, my husband of 7 years passed away. 

The month of October was just constant heartache for the Benjamin family. On October 10^th, Paisley was officially diagnosed. It turned our lives completely upside down as [before that] she was your typical healthy happy little girl. We started to notice bruises and her feeling extra lethargic, so we decided to have her seen by a doctor. Simple blood work confirmed suspicions (from the doctors) of leukemia, and a bone marrow test the following day confirmed the diagnosis. 

Paisley has had a rough and rocky road. She battled sepsis following her first week of diagnosis. This resulted in an emergency surgery for her port to be removed, the same day her father/my husband passed away (10.17.18). Michael previously battled with addiction, which he worked every day to overcome and he did. However, the trauma of having Paisley diagnosed was too much to bear; he relapsed and lost his battle. Michael lost his battle, but Paisley could win hers. 

Paisley had to stay hospitalized for 44 days to complete her first round of treatment and cell count recovery. During that time, we were grieving our loss and putting on our bravest faces to fight this battle. Due to extensive treatment, I had to leave my job to care for her 24/7. 

Three months into treatment, she had a reaction to a medicine she had 3 times prior and went into anaphylactic shock. She spent yet another stay in the ICU. This little girl has shown me what a true warrior is, and I couldn’t be any prouder of her!

Paisley is still in treatment and we are adjusting to our new “normal” life, taking it day by day while appreciating the good in every moment.  We are looking forward to a brighter and healthier future!