Meet Kaylee

Bio:

Kaylee, now 14, had always been a healthy, spunky young girl. Full of life and energy, she is creative and artistic with a passion for dance and theater. Her mom Christy said Kaylee could even be considered dramatic at times. This is why in December 2019, Christy was not alarmed when the school nurse called her concerned about a bruise that appeared after a minor fall on the playground. When more bruises began to develop, Christy decided to make an appointment with the pediatrician. When the doctor called later that evening instructing them to get Kaylee to St. Louis Children's Hospital immediately, Christy was shocked. The routine bloodwork showed Kaylee had dangerously low platelets and she was very sick.

Once in the Emergency Department, the medical team began running tests to learn more. The doctors were initially concerned Kaylee had leukemia, but a bone marrow biopsy revealed she had aplastic anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce adequate blood cells. After 11 days at St. Louis Children's, her care team developed a plan and Kaylee was sent home. She visited Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children's Hospital twice a week for transfusions and took daily medications to help her immune system. Unfortunately, the medications started to affect her kidneys and by June 2022 Kaylee's doctors decided it was time for a bone marrow transplant.

With no one in her family qualifying as a match, her family held their breath until a donor was found in another country. After four rounds of chemotherapy in January 2023, Kaylee was ready for a transplant. While the procedure went well, Kaylee endured many complications and was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). While those weeks were scary, the one bright spot was that Kaylee was fully engrafted after 90 days, meaning that the cells she received on transplant day started to grow and make healthy blood cells — a huge milestone in Kaylee's recovery.

Kaylee is now weaning off the medications used to help her recover and she visits Siteman Kids once a month. She was able to start her freshman year of high school and she is getting stronger every day. Kaylee continues to look forward to ringing the bell in the near future to signify the end of this chapter.

Because of You:

Kaylee's mom Christy is thankful for everything that helped lessen the burden of their time during their hospital stays. Whether it was a Child Life Specialist giving Kaylee a reason to get out of bed, a chance for a hot shower or a visit to the Olson Garden, Christy can't put into words how much she appreciates the care they received. Christy noted that treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic was very isolating and she is grateful for donor-funded programs that helped Kaylee stay motivated while she was in the fight of her life. Kaylee is currently very active in the Teen Life Council at St. Louis Children's and she looks forward to advocating for others going through a similar journey.

Watch Kaylee's Story: