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Connie O'Connel
Connie O'Connell was born December 17, 1993
Connie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Eventually with the help of Connie's parents, Connie went into remission.
Connie's Parent's took her to John's Hopkins Hospital and the doctors there gave her an 8% chance of servival.
Months later, Connie had a relapse. She was back into the world of constant death threats from cancerous cells taking over her body
In 1996 Connie only had a 1% chance of servival. The doctors decided a bone marrow transplant would be the best opption.
Even brushing her teeth had to be done with a Q-tip like cloth soaked in medicine. connie's mother would gently rub her oral sores and teeth as she moaned and cried, A couple weeks into November, the doctors said it was her time. They sadly told the family there only option was another BMT. A couple weeks into November, the doctors said it was her time. They sadly told the family there only option was another BMT. connie's older sister says "We said our goodbyes to a child who did not live pas the age of six. As I lay on her hospital bed, pondering if she was hearing us, I looked up at Connie's heart monitor. The numbers were slowly dropping, then I looked over at my mother's tear drenched face to say something, anything about the dropping numbers. Nothing came out. My father was trying to remain strong as he stared at the closed eyes of his dying daughter. I looked back up. 11:37 P.M. - a flat line - she was gone.
When November rolled around, Connie hit rock bottom, she no longer spoke. Her chemotherapy ate away at the lining in her throat, making it painful to say and do the easiest things.
Come Halloween, Connie was becoming much worse. Halloween was the last time she would ever see her house. The last time at her own home was spent with her family, carving a pumpkin on the deck.
Connie's family says that Connie always seemed to smile even when things were bad, she was an outgoing person who easily made friends.
Connie struggled during this relapse, becoming worse. During the summer of 1999, she was not able to swim in the pool or ride her bike. She spent her summer days in a hospital, tied down with tubes and wires monitoring her every breath
Staying in remission for five years would mean Connie's cancer would be cured, but the five years did not come soon enough. Before Connie could reach 3 years old, cancerous cells started to take over her body once more. she relapsed.
The next summer, the family enjoyed there time with Connie very much, they spent every day of the summer in the neighborhood pool. Connie's parents say that even on rainy days Connie would still wake up every morning and run around the house in her bathing suit
The family say's they remember the feeling of hope when the second year rolled around of Connie's remission after the BMT.
One problem, there was no donor. Each member of Connie's family had their blood tested. After analyzing the whole family's blood types, the doctors found an exact match. It was Connie's older sister. She was so honored to be able to help her little sister.
