When Jackie’s son, Ollie, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia her and her husband’s world stopped. One year later they found out that baby boy # 2 would be joining the family! And now Jackie’s family has joined the ViaCord family through our Sibling Connection Program – saving baby boy #2’s cord blood in case Ollie may need it one day. To help others, Jackie launched a podcast called and website called A.L.L. Mamma Care that’s targeted towards caregivers and families to share resources that have been helping her family throughout Ollie’s treatment. Check out her A.L.L Mamma Care Podcast and Website.
We want to thank Jackie from the bottom of our hearts for sharing her story, and for raising awareness during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. This is Jackie's story, in her own words....
"I was honored when asked to share our family story about how we got involved in the ViaCord Sibling Connection program. Even more so, because September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
When my son Ollie was born in May 2017, my husband and I wanted to bank his cord blood after his birth. Unfortunately, at the time the cost was not affordable to us and so we decided and planned on donating his cord blood after he was born. Due to some complications after his arrival the cord blood was not viable to donate.
He was always a very happy baby, I felt I did everything “right” during pregnancy and after his arrival. However, in the winter of 2018 we noticed he had a cough that wouldn’t let up. We took him to the pediatrician multiple times and then began to notice enlarged lymph nodes around his left ear. Since it’s common for toddlers to have colds off and on we were told to keep a close eye and things should clear up. However, his health seemed to be declining. In January 2019 he began acting lethargic and uninterested in playing. In mid-February, the day before Valentine’s Day, my husband took the day off of work and took Ollie to his pediatrician. They did a physical and ran a blood test. Shortly after the results came back, the only thing the Dr. told my husband was “You need to take him to the ER ASAP.”
At the time I was working full time and so both of us, not knowing what was wrong with our baby, rushed to meet at our local hospital with the greatest sense of urgency. We were admitted to the hospital so more blood tests could be run on our son and he could be monitored.
Three days later, nothing could have prepared us for the news that we were about to receive. Ollie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia B-Cell, at 21 months old. A.L.L. is cancer of the blood and is the most common and most curable form of cancer in children. His body stopped producing normal white blood cells, more specifically, his lymphocytes, which are one of the body's main types of immune cells. They are made in the bone marrow and found in the blood and lymph tissue.
It was an absolute shock and our world crumbled. We were told we had to begin treatment immediately. Our prayers were answered when our team told us he was in remission (zero evidence of cancer in his blood under a microscope) after 29 intense days of chemotherapy. However, he still needed to undergo the 3 years of chemotherapy treatment as past cases have shown there could be some leukemia cells still lingering in his blood undetectable under the microscope. We wanted to make sure we eradicated every cancer cell and replant new healthy cells.
Ollie was put on a 3-year treatment protocol (we’re 1 ½ years into it) and he’s responding well to treatments. We are so blessed to have such an amazing Oncology Team and support from friends and family.
My husband and I always saw our family with at least two children. However, when Ollie was diagnosed, we didn’t know if we would be able to “move forward” with our lives. The thought of having a second child was shattered when we heard his diagnosis.
As we moved through his first 9 month of treatment (the most intense) and started to go to the clinic less frequently, as many of his medications were administered at home, we were able to start planning again.
We were blessed to find out we were pregnant with baby boy #2 in February 2020, one year after Ollie’s diagnosis. Immediately, I asked my other Momcology friends if they knew of any services that would provide support for families like mine with cord blood banking. My friend recommended I reach out to ViaCord and ask about their Sibling Connection program. I spoke with a representative to gather information about the program and it was a good fit for my family.
During my son’s treatment he’s already had to endure blood transfusions and platelet transfusions. Other children who are undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia (depending on their risk factor and response to treatments) may have to endure a bone marrow transfusion. And this is why we wanted to get involved in the program.
We were thrilled to learn about the Sibling Connection program so that we can collect and bank Baby Boy #2’s cord blood if needed. These cord blood stem cells are like gold if for any chance we needed to use them to help Ollie’s body rejuvenate from his diagnosis or treatment. These cells also have a high probability of being a bone marrow match should Ollie ever need a bone marrow transplant.
When you have a sick child, you do anything to make them better. We consider ourselves very lucky to not only fulfill our dreams of a family and a sibling for Ollie to grow old with but to have the opportunity to bank something so precious and lifesaving. Thank you ViaCord for being a golden resource for our family in our time of need.
Baby Boy #2 is expected to be making his arrival late October/ Early November 2020. Ollie is very excited about being promoted to a big brother!"
We're happy to share a heartwarming update from Jackie (October 2021)
Ollie finished treatment in April 2021. He got his port out in June 2021. And rang the bell in August 2021. It was an amazing day! Since ending treatment, just this past month, he LOVES trying new foods (This means his taste buds are returning to normal!) This is a huge milestone. Some of his favorite new foods are broccoli, lima beans, apple sauce, french fries, Lara bars, Luna Bars and apples! He loves to play with his little brother Leo and they seem to have their own special language during playtime. Leo is going to be turning 1 later this month and he's just about to start walking and sprouting 4 teeth! He's a happy baby and loves to try new foods and cruise across the furniture. We're still adjusting to life post treatment and still taking it one day at a time. I hope to have Season 3 of the A.L.L. Mamma Care podcast in the works soon!
Learn more about ViaCord's Sibling Connection Program here, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the conversation and stay up-to-date on cord blood & tissue, genetics, pregnancy, and everything in between!
Disclaimer: Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work and only a doctor can determine when it can be used.
