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HEART, SOUL, & SPIRIT
At 4 1/2 years old, Dalton enjoyed collecting tractors and Beanie
Babies. He had been sick most of 2000
and in July his blood tests came back normal. By the end
of September, Dalton was still getting sick. On the last
Sunday night in October, he woke up crying and they rushed him to
the emergency room at Tod Children's Hospital. On their way,
he said, "Mommy, I don't want to die. I'm tired of being
sick." An ear infection was found and
antibiotics were prescribed and to call in the morning. On
Monday night he attended the Annual Halloween parade hosted by the Leetonia Fire
Department. The next morning he woke up and the right side of
his face was swollen. It was believed he had a viral infection
caused by encephalitis. They were instructed to call back in a
week and the doctor would see him again.
The next morning Dr. Mowad of Tod's called and said Dalton's cell
counts were off. He was admitted to Tod's on October 31, put
on IV's and a very strong antibiotic. It was still thought
that he only had a serious ear infection. X-Rays showed two
spots on his lungs and a tumor the size of a large grapefruit was
growing under his jaw bone, up behind his eye and had entered the
brain tissue.
After a biopsy, pathology and mediport were completed, Sonja
said, "If it wouldn't have come out in the swelling it would
have gone undetected and we would have lost him."
Dalton is quite a little man and a guardian angel has
helped him through the difficult chemo and radiation sessions. After
several months of grueling treatments, Dalton's cancer is in
remission and he attended the 2001 Halloween parade in style. |
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