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Katherine Marguerite
Sutter's Mother writes:
At only 5 months old, Katherine Marguerite
Sutter ("CoCo") was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myelogenous
Leukemia). The sudden devastation, fear and anxiety with having
to make instant medical decisions that could affect this little
baby changed the lives of her family forever. Until this point in
her life, all Baby Katherine had put into her body was her mother's
milk. Now she was being fed chemotherapy and other radical medications.
At this age she could not yet speak. She could not tell us her pain.
We could only read it through her big, telling eyes.
After six rounds of chemotherapy, eight surgeries, hundreds of
medications administered around the clock, the CAT Scan, MIR, EEG,
EKG, Spinal Taps, morphine, temperatures of 106, heart rate of 230
per minute, pneumonia, sores throughout her entire GI tract, numerous
visits to the intensive care unit, we had still not rid ourselves
of this horrible disease.
Although in a major city with some of the largest medical facilities
in the world, we were told there were few options, we could not
continue in the hospital we were in, and there was not a bone marrow
match and it could be months until one might be found and we did
not have that kind of time.
We searched the entire United States around the clock to find an
answer. Through our prayer we were given Dr. Rubinstein of The New
York Blood Center and Dr. Kurtzberg of Duke University Medical Center.
They had found a match. It was a cord blood match. A way that was
as effective with fewer side effects. Through their unselfish dedication
and compassion to save innocent children's lives, we had an answer
to our prayers. Baby Katherine was saved.
Our story is long and complex, but the endless
research of Dr. Rubinstein and the care of Dr. Kurtzberg have
shown us the true meaning of life. For them and their very capable
staff, it is not about making money or achieving fame, but the caring
for and the loving of one another.
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