Katelyn Rose Sassin

Katelyn Rose Sassin was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on September 11th 2008; she had just turned 9 years old. After the first Induction phase of treatment was complete we had found out that the cancer was not gone and she was moved to a higher risk, this left her with 6 extra months of hard chemotherapy for a total length of 3 1/2 years. Chemotherapy had left her weekend. She lost more than 30 pounds and all of her long dark hair, eyelashes and eye brows. The chemotherapy had left the skin in her mouth and throat, raw and peeling. Her gums would bleed, she had lost strength in her legs and began to fall and stumble. She had suffered a grand Maul seizure, loss of appetite and was TPN dependant for nutrition. She battled sever infections due to no immune system. The chemotherapy given through her spine and into her brain has caused neurotoxicity and we are now dealing with cognitive impairment due to the white matter in her brain being destroyed.

Katelyn started the Maintenance part of her treatments in September of 2009, she takes chemotherapy at home every day, chemotherapy at the hospital once a month, spinal taps and chemo to her CNS every 90 days and therapy twice a month. She has a home bound teacher to come to the house and can attend school when she feels good enough to go. She has 20 more months of treatments to go and five years from then, she will be declared CANCER FREE!!!

Katelyn will tell you that she loves pigs! She has a large collection of over 200 of them. She loves to paint and draw. She paints to raise money for the American Cancer Society. She is a kind, sweet, caring person and reaches out to anyone in need.  Katelyn has an older sister, younger brother and a younger sister, she also has two dogs and she hopes to become an animal officer when she grows up.

If you would like more information about Katelyn and stay up to date in what she is doing, here are some of her links you can follow. She is an awesome young lady. Despite of her own circumstances, she is raising money for the American Caner Society (how kind is that?). We love you Katelyn!

CaringBridge

Relay For Life Page