Lily was born on December 30, 2003 – a beautiful, happy, healthy baby. At the age of 28 months, Lily was diagnosed with two tumors in her head, one that caused her eye to bulge and the other at the back of her head. After a brain biopsy and several weeks of other tests, we received the diagnosis of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Once Lily started chemotherapy, she was brave beyond words. Her vocabulary started to consist of medical words like heparin, or
“cedure” for procedure, instead of typical childhood words. Her playmates were nurses, care partners and family instead of other two and 3-year-olds. She endured it all with the innocence of a child and the courage of an adult.
Lily completed her chemo treatment and was able to live a normal 3-year-old’s life for five months before she relapsed. Because of the relapse, a bone marrow transplant was inevitable.
Within one week, she was unable to walk. It wasn’t until after her chemotherapy was started that her pain subsided and she was able to return to herself. On December 4, 2007, Lily received a 3-cord blood transplant at the University of Minnesota.
After a 60 day biopsy, the leukemia was back and proved to be too strong and resistant to everything we tried. After countless procedures and transfusions, multiple bone marrow biopsies, MRI’s, scans, finger pokes, and rounds of chemotherapy, Lily Elizabeth Leyden passed away from complications from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia on April 26, 2008 at the age of 4 years, 118 days. She fought a brave, courageous battle and taught us and those who loved her.
She knew more in her short life than we learned throughout all of ours. Every day we have is a gift. Don’t take it for granted.