In the last entry I talked about my nephew Rex’s recent and sudden diagnosis with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I personally didn’t know much about it at all. I was somewhat familiar with the basics of Leukemia, but little beyond that, and especially little about different types.

The night I received a phone call with the news of Rex being taken to the hospital I knew so little. Because I knew so little, I didn’t even know if he would make it through that first night. I stayed up until the early morning hours, searching for any information I could find. But because a diagnosis hadn’t been made, there was no way to know what type of Leukemia he was dealing with.

Thankfully, as I mentioned previously, Rex is doing an amazing job fighting and staying strong despite treatments which are extremely taxing. I’ve learned much more about not only the disease, but a few helpful organizations and resources as well, which I wanted to share.

First up is the amazing Children’s National Hospital, in Washington DC, where they’ve taken amazing care of my nephew. They’re one of the leading hospitals in the US in childhood cancers. You can learn more about their pediatric cancer here.

Next up is a wonderful organization which has been extremely helpful to Rex and his family. Travel to and from the hospital is over an hour, adding added exhaustion on top of the already stressful situation. Thankfully, Ronald McDonald House has been a great help, providing accommodations for the family super close to the hospital!

Lastly, if you’re like I was, you’ve heard of Leukemia many times but may not know many details. There are a lot of different types of Leukemia with different aspects. This can be really overwhelming before an exact diagnosis is made. One of the scariest parts, for me as at least, was the period at the beginning – just not knowing was awful. A good resource for reading up on things is The American Cancer Society. They have a lot of info on not only T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia but the many other kinds as well, along with other valuable resources.

I’ve you or someone you know has been affected by Leukemia, these links will hopefully provide a bit of help.

-Clint