Riley Randoll
In January of 2015 Riley developed a sore in her mouth and swollen gums. After a couple weeks of thinking it was nothing her mother took her to the dentist who referred the family to an oral surgeon who referred them to her pediatrician. They all seemed very concerned but didn’t let on what they thought it could be. The next day they saw Dr. Ettenger who told them this could be serious and sent them for blood work. He told them to stay close by and not go back to work. As expected, the family was terrified but nothing could have prepared for the call. Jen, Riley’s mom, was sitting across the table from my Riley at Wendy’s when she got the news that they thought Riley had leukemia. They rushed to Pittsburgh where that evening it was confirmed. Riley did indeed have cancer at 8 years old.
They were admitted and that’s when this nightmare began. They found out she didn’t have the “good kind” of leukemia. She had the bad one, AML. Most common in old men. The first few weeks were really scary but they slowly got used to living in the hospital. Riley’s treatment plan required us to be inpatient for 30 days at a time. Jen had to leave her job and they had to leave Riley’s brother Matty who was only 5 months old at the time. Nick, Riley’s dad still worked and came out on weekends. So they settled in, developed relationships and friendships with the wonderful nurses and doctors and the other kids. There were a lot of little bald heads running around the halls. Riley was such a trooper and we even managed to have a lot of fun during that time. They rejoiced when we found out in May that she was cancer free but due to the aggressive nature of her cancer she still had to have a bone marrow transplant. This is when everything went downhill.
Riley had her BMT on June 16, 2015. The family was nervous but full of hope that this would be the final chapter and they could get back to our lives. That didn’t happen. Riley developed graft vs host disease which is the new marrow attacking your body. The whole summer was miserable for sweet little Riley. On August 20th Riley went into respiratory arrest and rushed to the ICU. The next day she was intubated and remained that way until she passed away on October 7, 2015.
Riley is so loved and missed by her family including her young brother and sister, Matty and Ellie. They hope everyone can remember their sweet, funny, caring “Gobba Girl” who said every day was “the best day ever”.
They were fortunate to have so much support from the community, including CHAMP. Please consider making a donation to help other kids like Riley and families like ours. It really makes a difference.
Love, The Randoll Family
Kristy Bookwalter
Kristy started to have a lot of pain in her back. She had made several trips to her pediatrician to try to find out what was going on but there were no answers. It finally got to the point where she couldn’t lay on her back at all. The doctor finally ordered a MRI and the family was told she had a fatty mass. The Bookwalters made arrangements to go to Janet Weis Children's hospital in Danville to have it removed. They arrived on April 30, 2013 to have surgery. That is the day when everything started to fall apart. They were told their daughter had cancer and they needed to do more testing. The worst news to hear as a parent. Telling Kristy she had cancer was one of the hardest things Bill and Tonya ever had to do. They spent several weeks in the hospital and Kristy was diagnosed with Myoepithelial Carcinoma cancer in May 2013. Through this journey Kristy had completed over 30 rounds of chemo and Radiation treatments. She also participated in several clinical trials. Even though Kristy was going through the fight of her life she still stayed positive. She always said she wasn’t going to let cancer run her life. She was able to graduate high school with honors and even attended college for a while. She loved watching her sister playing softball and never missed her games. It didn't matter how bad she felt. Kristy loved to spend time with her family. Family was everything to her. She always had a smile on her face. Even when she wasn’t feeling good. Kristy fought the battle for 4 1/2 Years and passed on September 14, 2016. As hard as it is to tell her this story, the family does because they want her legacy to live on forever. The Bookwalters are proud supporters of CHAMP.
Love, The Bookwalters Family
Wade Stains
Wade Darren Stains was an amazing young man with a heart of gold. Wade was sick on and off for over six months before he was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma at the age of 13. Wade had been to many doctors, emergency rooms, chiropractors, and urgent care centers prior to his diagnosis on May 25, 2012. Wade's parents were told that it was growing pains, it was a basketball injury, he had the flu, strep throat, etc. Wade's diagnosis was a shock, as it is rare for a child his age to get this cancer and to have two tumors and not just one. Wade began treatment at Penn State Children's Hospital in Hershey. During the first year, he spent more time in the hospital than out of the hospital. He had an extensive surgery in October of 2012 to remove his left adrenal gland and the primary tumor. Doctors were unable to remove the tumor on his sacrum due to its complex nature. Despite all the chemotherapy and surgery, Wade's cancer continued to progress. He had two treatments of MIBG Therapy at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). These treatments were scary and very hard on his body. MIBG Therapy is when they inject radioactive iodine into your body in hopes of it targeting the Neuroblastoma. We weren't allowed to touch Wade, kiss him, hug him, or be with him for more than 12 hours at a time because Wade was radioactive for over a week and had to be in a special hospital room made of steel walls. Anything he touched had to be sent to contamination. Again, the treatments failed to help him. He then started a Trial Study at CHOP which gave everyone hope. He was able to get out and enjoy life again. After 11 months, the cancer progressed and he was kicked out of the Trial. He began another Trial Study a few months later, but it was very short lived. In November 2014, his Oncologist at CHOP told us there was nothing else they could do for him and we should return to Penn State Children's Hospital and advised us to contact Hospice as the cancer had spread to his brain. A quick call to Dr. Bell and Nurse Melissa in Hershey and Wade was back in their care that day. He began whole brain radiation and other therapies to keep his bones strong and delay the progression. Wade fought for 3 1/2 years and passed away from Septic Shock on November 25, 2015. Wade touched the lives of so many people during his brave cancer journey. His smile and giggle could light up a room. Wade was 16 at the time of his death and received his high school diploma the day before he passed away from the Southern Huntingdon County High School. His homebound instructor Mr. Scott Lake, hand delivered it to his ICU room at Hershey and they held a short celebration with the nurses and doctors. He is missed and loved by so many. He was an amazing friend, nephew, cousin, son, grandson, and little brother. Although there were 7 years between him and his brother, Tyler, they were best friends and inseparable for most of Wade's life. Oh the secrets that they shared!! Wade will always be remembered for his bravery and always putting others first. No matter how bad he felt, everyone else mattered more. Thank you for your support during the fight, loss, and grief. We have the best community ever! Thank you for keeping Wade's memory alive! Forever Team Wade! Wade's Warriors!!
Love, The Stains Family
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