Eunique’s story

Corcoran High School student Eunique Darby fought a rare form of Leukemia for years, but this week, she finally lost her battle to the disease. 15 year old Darby was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a Cancer that affects the white blood cells, when she was only nine years old.
Throughout her long search for a donor, the teen held drives encouraging people join the Bone Marrow Donor Registry. Her own search was often disappointing. A donor was found in May, but complications cancelled the surgery. Finally in August, a perfect match was found and she spent the next several months recovering. However, complications from Chemotherapy and Radiation proved to be too much. She died Monday. "I'm just glad she's not suffering anymore," said Eunique's aunt Debrah Frett. "She doesn't have to go to the doctors, she doesn't have to be poked. Now she can be a teenager. Even though she's in heaven, she can live a teenage life."

Aside from the frequent phone calls and covered dishes brought to their home, there's one thing that's helping Eunique's family get through this difficult time. That's knowing they're not alone. "Through all the treatments and doctors and hospitals, I kept her kind of sheltered, and to know that so many people in this community love her, it's beautiful," said Enid Darby, Eunique's mother. A wake will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Gospel Temple on Oakwood Avenue and funeral services will follow at noon on Saturday. Eunique's aunt is hoping to establish a scholarship in her name by the end of the year.

Our first experience with Charity for Children was in the fall of 2005. I was put in contact with them through the social worker at University Hospital after I had problems with paying my utilities. Eunique had just had her first relapse of ALL, my husband had just been incarcerated, and I was at my wits end. Nina came through and paid the utility bill and even to my surprise gave me money to give myself a nice Christmas present (although I spent it on the kids). Although I had always wanted to give back I was never financially able to.

Fast forward to 2008, Eunique had relapsed again. Now she needs a bone marrow transplant. I have taken an unpaid leave of absence to take care of her and the many doctors appointment and countless days in the hospital. Her transplant has to take place in Rochester, NY. Life takes a horrible turn, the original donor backs out, I thought that I had saved enough money to take care of us for the time that we would need to be out of town. Now with the donor backing out that means that I would have to be out of work a little longer, which means the funds have run out. I look to one person who may help me out. I am embarrassed because I never was able to give back, but I finally got up the nerve. One call to Nina and she remembered me. Without hesitation she has helped me out once again. Charity for Children along with Nina Albino have been a godsend for me. I don’t know what I would do without them.

Miguel's Story

 My name is Amanda Robles and I have a loved one who has Leukemia, a form of Cancer.  The loved one is my 5 year son Miguel Claudio.  Miguel was diagnosed on January 20, 2006.  It all started with a scooter accident at home.  We brought him to the hospital and after doing some testing it was determined that Miguel had Cancer. The Doctor explained what procedures would need to be done.  They treated Miguel for 6 months with chemotherapy and he also received a bone marrow transplant which had to be done in Rochester, New York.  His 8 year old brother was the donor.  Miguel seemed to be doing well for a while but in June of 2008 he started to feel nauseous and couldn’t eat anything without vomiting. The doctors hoped that it was only a stomach bug but unfortunately after more testing and x-rays they found that the Cancer had returned.  This time they treated it with radiation therapy and chemotherapy for a 4 week period.  His last treatment was Monday, August 4, 2008.

We’re now taking it day by day just praying that the cancer won’t come back any time soon or maybe there will be a miracle and it never comes back. 

During the rough times in the hospital we started to have financial problems and it became really hard to take care of our other children.  We have four others who also needed our care and attention. 

I was fortunate enough to hear about Charity for Children from our Case Worker at Upstate Medical Center.  They recommended Miguel to Charity for Children and I was contacted by a woman named Nina Albino.  She explained about the charity and how they raise money to help local kids who are sick and their families.  She also explained to me about a man who she told our situation to and who wanted to donate money to help our particular family.  She sent me a Visa card the very next day to use for our immediate needs. Charity for Children also purchased a phone for us because we did not have a working phone and we need to be able to stay in touch with the doctor for Miguel.  Thanks to Charity for Children and that man, I was not only able to buy supplies and food that we needed for our family but we now feel so much more at ease having a telephone.

I am writing this little story to let people know how cancer has touched me and my family and how Charity for Children has touched our lives.  I am very grateful for what they have done for us. 

Thank you so much Charity for Children and our mystery man who has been so very generous.

Taylor's Story

My name is Taylor Walpole and I am twelve years old.  Just before my eleventh birthday I became very sick and was hospitalized.  This was the beginning of a very long journey, one that would last a lifetime.  After many tests from Pediatric Cardiologists, Nephrologists, and Endocrinologists I was told that I had a rare life threatening disease of the adrenal gland.  I spent the next year trying to find a doctor that knew about it and that would treat me.  Finally, I found one at Schneider’s Children’s Hospital in Long Island.  She did more testing and discovered that I was misdiagnosed and had an even more rare adrenal glad disease called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.  Mine wasn’t the common one that affects the number twenty-one hydroxylase, but it was the one that is extremely rare and affects the number seventeen.  There are only about a hundred known cases worldwide.  It is a life threatening disease that affects the heart, kidneys, and reproductive organs.

Part of me was relieved that I didn’t have that other disease, but the other part of me was nervous because I knew there would be new tests and news things to deal with.  As with the first disease that they thought I had, this one gives me high blood pressure.  I have high blood pressure on and off since I was born, but when it became more persistent the doctors knew something was wrong.  When they did an echocardiogram they found out that my heart was enlarged from the years of high blood pressure. The medicine for this is different than high blood pressure medicine because they are trying to control the adrenal gland.  The first one they tried didn’t work and now I am on one that is three times the strength of the first one.  It has many awful side effects and it lowers my immune system.  I already had to be on a special low sodium diet because this disease affects the potassium and sodium levels, but with the new medicine I have to take now, I have to eat low sugar, and high protein also.

This disease brought more problems too.  I would still have heart and kidney problems, but now I will have problems with my reproductive organs as well.  I might not be able to have kids, but I hope that works out when I get older.  I had to undergo some very important tests in Long Island recently since these problems start with my development during puberty. The insurance company decided that since my specialist was outside of the insurance carrier area, they would only pay what they felt was “reasonable and customary”.  That was less than half.  With mounting medical bills, traveling expenses, and special dietary needs, my parents were worried.

Charity for Children stepped forward and helped us out.  They are a very special charity that helps all children with diseases.  There is no foundation for my disease and many others that children suffer from, especially the rare diseases.  Charity for Children has taken us under their wing and given us their kindness, generosity, and hope for a better future for all children that are suffering. Thanks to Charity for Children I was able to get the tests that I needed to help me.  Even though there is no cure for my disease, and I will have to undergo intensive medical treatment for most of my life, I know that if I needed help, Charity for Children will be there to support me in my time of need.  Thanks for all you do for the children of Central New York.