Kyle keeps on fighting
It was the third time Kyle Lindgren and his family learned he was suffering from leukemia, but this time the diagnosis was unusually cruel.
Kyle, 11, was stricken with the illness in 2000 and suffered a relapse in 2003. But unlike those times, on Oct. 8, when Kyle visited his doctor for a routine checkup, he felt perfectly healthy. Kyle had started sixth grade at
Westlake Middle School, had joined the band and was learning to play the clarinet.
“He was just so excited,” said his mother, Denise. “He was just getting to be a normal boy. That’s why it’s so frustrating.”
Within days of the October diagnosis, Kyle had started chemotherapy and was too ill for school. The treatment has sapped his energy and ravaged his immune system. Instead of following his grades, his mother tracks his blood cell counts to see if it’s safe for Kyle to be around other people and risk catching a bug that would complicate his treatment. The treatment has even robbed Kyle of his voice.
Sadly, the routine has become familiar.
“Maybe we don’t even know what normal is anymore,” Denise said. “Your whole life revolves around his blood counts.”
Kyle’s voice might be gone, but he’s figured out clever ways to work around it. He’ll play his favorite online video game, World of Warcraft (Buy wow gold ) , with a friend who talks to him over a speakerphone. He types out his responses using the game’s chat feature.
His mother admits she doesn’t understand the game, where Kyle, who plays under the name Sandyclawz, is a level 70 troll shaman. But she appreciates that it lets him play with friends and get to know new users online.
Doctors said Kyle likely will need a bone marrow transplant. Although the most likely donors are immediate family members, Kyle’s parents and siblings aren’t matches. That’s why his family and friends are turning to the public.
A bone marrow drive at Westlake on Nov. 24 might help find a donor. The test consists of a simple cheek swab. If the initial test looks promising, the next step is a blood draw.
Kyle’s doctors also are considering treating him with marrow cells derived from umbilical cord blood.
To help raise money to pay for future treatment, NASCAR memorabilia and donations from local businesses will be auctioned off at the Nov. 24 event. Contributions also can be made to the Cure for Kyle fund at Bank of the West, 1000 E. First Ave.
If a donor is found, Kyle will be hospitalized for at least six weeks after the transplant. Most of that time will be spent waiting for his immune system to build up its strength.
In the past, doctors thought chemotherapy would be enough, Denise said. Kyle would be spared the transplant surgery, and he seemed to be responding well to chemo. His leukemia was in remission, at least according to the tests.
“The thing with cancer and leukemia cells is they’re really good at hiding,” Denise said. “It will just keep coming.”
Fortunately, so has support from the community. In 2006, students at Meridian Elementary raised more than $6,000 to help with treatment. Last St. Patrick’s Day, firefighters from North Metro Fire Rescue District shaved their heads to raise money for pediatric cancer research as part of the national St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser. Kyle’s fight was part of their inspiration.
Jen Jones, a family friend, is helping organize the bone marrow drive. Kyle’s fortitude has impressed her.
“He’s not the scared little kid. He knows what to expect and he’s kind of fed up and wants to be done with it,” she said.
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