What are the odds of a 28-year-old mother and her 15-month-old daughter developing cancer at the same time? Kezia Fitzgerald, 28, was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is cancer of the lymph nodes, a vital part of the immune system. Although this sounds daunting, Hodgkin’s lymphoma is considered one of the most curable cancers (cnn.com). This gave Fitzgerald hope, until 5 months later when her 15-month-old daughter, Saoirse, began waking up with bruised eyes, was unusually cranky, and was vomiting. While Kezia was undergoing her own treatment, a stage four malignant cancer called neuroblastoma was found in Saoirse’s abdomen. Her nerve cells were turning into tumors instead of cells and fibers (cnn.com). Saoirse’s cancer was spreading throughout her adrenal glands, bone marrow, ears, and the remainder of her body. Saoirse is now without adrenal glands and will have to take steroids for the rest of her life and will have to endure stem cell transplants in order to save her bone marrow.
This article really hit me because of my love for medicine and because of my compassion for others. It is very sad to read about a family going through two cancers. They are a very strong family and are blessed to have friends fundraising to help with their insurance and hospital bills. It is quite interesting, from a medical point of view, that both mother and daughter would develop cancer around the same time. A couple of weeks ago the Fitzgeralds were happy to find out that Kezia’s cancer is in remission. Hopefully Saorise will emulate her mother this time too.
The author of this article wrote in an informative but informal way, which made the text easy to read. The author used pathos to bring out the reader’s emotions for the family. This article was current, clear, and concise, which make for a great combination. After reading this I think that, like me, thousands of other people are wishing for a quick recovery for Saoirse.
Park, Madison. "A woman and her toddler fight dual cancers - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. N.p., 17 Sept. 2911. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/09/17/mom.baby.cancer/index.html?hpt=he_t5>.
Unlucky odds for them both developing cancer at the same time.
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