Danielle Aubuchon, 14

Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center

Danielle Aubuchon is a healthy, active and energetic 14 year-old.  She plays flute in the school band, on the Honor Roll and a member of the Junior Honor Society. She had hardly ever missed school until last February when her mother, Zoe Ann picked her daughter up from school early because she was feeling sick.

Zoe Ann thought her daughter might have strep throat so she took Danielle to the doctor the next day. She had also noticed some strange spots on Danielle’s feet and knew that wasn’t normal. After examining Danielle, her pediatrician sent them to the emergency room at their local hospital, then straight to Cardinal Glennon where doctors diagnosed Danielle with having Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Danielle’s dad, Rodney, was in California on business and had the longest flight of his life to get home to be with his daughter.

Her mother recalls the next six days being a complete daze. Danielle went through several spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations and receiving blood, platelets and most importantly, chemotherapy. After all this, they received the news they had so desperately hoped for: Danielle was in remission! She is now in the Maintenance phase of her treatment that will continue until Spring, 2007.  She takes 40 pills every other Saturday and visits Cardinal Glennon every two weeks for blood tests. What should be a short, half hour visit at the hospital turns into a two or three hour event because Danielle enjoys visiting with all her doctors, nurses and friends at the Costas Center.

It has been a long journey so far for the Aubuchon’s. Danielle kept an amazingly positive attitude through this whole thing. Her parents were very honest about everything she was going through, which kept her very strong. Through it all, her mom says she never lost her hair or her wonderful spirit. She enjoys spending time with her parents, her brother and sister, Nick and Michelle and her dog Abby. She still rarely misses school, only to go to Cardinal Glennon and is able to do all the things kids her age are doing.