Patient Honoree Courtney Knotts Status: Courtney has always been very active and full of energy.  In the Spring of 2002, she started having leg cramps, was often very tired and did not feel like herself.  Courtney’s doctor recommended they go to Children's Memorial Hospital for tests.  A couple weeks later Courtney was feeling worse and went to the emergency room at Children’s Memorial Hospital.  This is where she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.  The first month was the hardest, Courtney had to adjust quickly to losing her hair and constant doctor visits. Courtney was in remission only one month after her first treatment.  Now, she goes in for doctor’s visits every three months for a blood draw and check-ups.  She’s feeling great.  She is in the school chorus, on the soccer team, participates in dance and gymnastics classes, and made the school honor roll every quarter last year.  She’s looking forward to being a patient honoree again and meeting everyone! Hobbies: Courtney is your typical 13 year old- playing all sports, she likes being with friends and loves school.

Maclain’s Story: In Feb. 2006 Maclain started to become sick with fevers and leg pain. After numerous times to his family doctor, blood tests, urinalysis, x-rays and a cat scan we finally rushed Maclain into the emergency room at Children's Memorial where he was diagnosed on March 20, 2006 with Pre B cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. He responded immediately and was in remission in four weeks. He is currently on a maintenance plan were he goes to Children's once a month for blood counts and chemotherapy followed by intense steroids. Daily he takes medicine and every third month he has a spinal tap. His leukemia continues to be in remission and he has completed the most intense part of his treatment plan, barring any relapse. Needle sticks and pill swallowing are now ‘accepted’ by Mac and the screaming, fighting and need to pin him down that usually accompanied these tasks earlier in his treatment are no longer. Boy does t hat make things much easier on a parent!! March 20, 2007, has marked the first anniversary of his diagnosis and this is just so hard for me to believe. He will remain on chemotherapy drugs for two more years beyond his anniversary. Then it is the frightful game of waiting for the years to pass without incident of relapse….until we can finally get to a point to say he has been cured!!  To see Mac today, you would not know he was stricken with this disease. He has grown much of his hair back, lost most of his bloated steroidal look and has all the energy back he lost to his cancer just months earlier. Yip, he’s just your typical 3 year old little boy...just ask his sisters who he is constantly pestering!!