Meet ASK Kid Isiah! Like any other 14-year-old boy, he loves playing Fortnite, Roblox, and flying planes online. However, at the age of 11, things were very different. "A social butterfly and a very happy kid," is how his mom, Yesim, describes him. "I knew something was wrong when he began complaining of headaches and generally being very emotional. Even his teachers were noticing a difference in his personality."
Yesim's motherly intuition told her it could be cancer. After several visits to pediatricians, where he was diagnosed with a virus, Isiah began vomiting. This led them to the emergency room, where a doctor delivered the most terrifying words Yesim had ever heard: "Your child has cancer." Isiah was referred to VCU for more tests over a four-day period. It was a difficult diagnosis, but no one was giving up. Eventually, Isiah was diagnosed with Large B-cell Lymphoma, a type of leukemia.
Isiah’s diagnosis was extremely scary and difficult for his family to process. His mom, Yesim, thought it was "the end" for her family. "I quickly realized that if I was scared, then my child would be scared, so I decided to be brave," remembers Yesim. "At first, I compared my child to other children in treatment, but I learned that every child is different. Then I realized that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I should not lose hope."
For Yesim and her family, ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation provided that hope. “Katie Barber, the ASK Child Life Specialist, was the first person we met in clinic, and she was a beautiful example of how positivity and kindness can change a very scary day into a day that we could handle.”
Since that first introduction to ASK, Isiah and his family have participated in many ASK activities, with the holiday party being their favorite. In addition, ASK’s Education Support Navigator, Jon Longenecker, has been an integral part of Isiah’s continuing education through his treatment. “We had a lot of issues with the homebound program through our school system, and Jon made sure that Isiah got the help he needed. He continues to be involved now that Isiah is transitioning back to school, ensuring that Isiah has all the resources he requires to be a good student. He’s truly one of the kindest humans I’ve met in my lifetime,” continues Yesim.
“It amazes me every day how ASK knows what we need and then provides a solution to our needs, no matter what it is. For example, they discovered our vacuum broke and ASK bought us a new one without me asking. As a single mom with all my family in Germany, this type of support is vital to my family’s success.”
- Yesim ASK Kid Isiah's Mom
Paying the family’s rent and providing food and gas gift cards for their many trips to VCU are just a few of the financial gifts Isiah and his family received from ASK.
After 2 ½ years of chemotherapy, including 14 months of very harsh treatments, Isiah graduated to the maintenance phase and is slowly getting stronger each day. “Our life is returning to normal, I think,” laughs Yesim. “Isiah is doing well and happy again. He’s doing better in school and is focusing on his health. We are so grateful for every day!
To this day, Isiah “never complains about what has happened to him and we continue to have fun days,” says Yesim. “Cancer can’t stop us from going to the pool and the beach or visiting with friends. Part of the nightmare of cancer is seeing all of those sick kids in Clinic and hearing about relapses. Nobody can tell us the future, but ASK walks this journey with us every day and mitigates our fear. ASK is hope in the midst of childhood cancer!”