When Makayla first noticed a lump in her daughter Everleigh’s stomach, she had a feeling something was wrong. What she didn’t expect was a life-changing diagnosis. At just 4 years old, Everleigh was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, a type of kidney cancer. The news was devastating for her parents and confusing for her twin sister, Sydney.
Everleigh’s treatment for Wilms’ tumor
Everleigh’s treatment journey at Children’s Minnesota began with six weeks of chemotherapy to try and shrink the tumor. That was followed by surgery to remove her right kidney – where the tumor was found – and part of her left kidney. Then, it was 10 more months of chemotherapy. She also had a feeding tube placed to help her regain some of the weight she had lost and to help take her medications.
Even through all these challenges, Everleigh’s smile never faded.
“It didn’t matter how bad she was feeling, she always had a smile on her face which would brighten all of our days,” Makayla remembered.
The supportive care of Child Life and Music Therapy
Alongside the expert medical care, Everleigh and her family received supportive care from the child life and music therapy team at Children’s Minnesota. The team was there for Everleigh both in the cancer and blood disorders clinic and during her stays in the hospital for treatment.
Allowing Everleigh to just play
Child life can be a bright spot in the day for many patients and families. They brought Everleigh toys, crafts and activities to take her mind off treatment and just be a kid. She loved music therapy, which kept her busy and happy during her stays in the hospital.
“When child life or music therapy came into the room, they would make her day so much better,” Makayla said. “They also supported our family because it gave us a little break from trying to keep her entertained while we were there for multiple days.”
Helping Sydney understand
The child life team also supported Everleigh’s twin sister, Sydney. Since she was also only 4 years old, she was confused about what was happening to her sister. Child life helped the family to explain things to Sydney in a way she would understand. The support was invaluable in helping the family navigate the emotional challenges of having a child with cancer.
“She started to understand that Everleigh was sick. We also brought Sydney with us to a couple of Everleigh’s clinic appointments and child life and the nurses helped explain everything that was happening to Everleigh and why they were doing it,” Makayla said.
Starting school
Thankfully, Everleigh has completed treatment for Wilms’ tumor and is in remission. Now 5 years old, she has enjoyed the summer playing outside with her sister and riding her bike. This fall, she and Sydney will start kindergarten together.
When asked about her hopes for Everleigh’s future, Makayla said, “We are hoping and praying Everleigh will continue to grow up healthy and live her life to the fullest.”
Donate to support kids like Everleigh
The vital support the child life and music therapy team provided Everleigh and her family is not covered by insurance and never appears on a patient’s bill. It’s made possible by donations.
When you donate to the Shine Bright for Kids fundraiser this September, your gift supports the cancer and blood disorders program at Children’s Minnesota. We rely on your donations to surround every child with the most extraordinary care: highly specialized, deeply compassionate and designed to give families strength when they need it most. Donate now at childrensmn.org/shinebrightforkids.
