Edgar’s Story

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) care from Niswonger Children’s Hospital

Edgar has always loved playing board games and UNO with his family. He discovered LEGO® toys in kindergarten when he was given a set as a prize. But it wasn’t until he was in the hospital receiving chemotherapy that he became genuinely interested in them. He now especially enjoys building LEGO® airplanes and cars.

Since the day he was born, Edgar never got sick beyond an occasional cold. But in January, just before his sixth birthday, he developed a nasty cough. He was breathing hard and would get tired very easily. When his right eye became swollen, his mother, Leonor, took him to Niswonger Children’s Hospital Emergency Department. He was prescribed eye drops and sent home.

But two weeks later, his condition worsened. He developed a high fever, vomiting and lower back pain. Back to the ER, they went. The nurse listened closely as Leonor described all of Edgar’s symptoms. “She took them as a warning sign that something was wrong,” says Leonor.

Doctors performed several tests, and on February 8, he was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of rapidly progressing cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood. He also had a tumor in his chest. In some cases, like Edgar’s, leukemia cells will clump together and form a mass in the middle of the chest. This mass can cause pain and difficulty breathing.

Edgar was very sick, and his kidneys were failing. He was immediately transferred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis for dialysis and to begin a chemotherapy regimen.

His condition improved during the three months he was in Memphis, then he was able to return home to Jonesborough, Tennessee. The family was relieved to learn that Edgar could continue his weekly chemotherapy treatments at St. Jude Tri-Cities Affiliate Clinic at Niswonger Children’s Hospital in nearby Johnson City.

Edgar was able to start first grade this fall as a homebound student and will continue his treatment for the next 2-1/2 years.

“He’s a very strong boy. He never complains about anything and is always smiling.”

Want to learn more about Niswonger Children’s Network?

The Niswonger Children’s Network is dedicated to improving the health and future of the Appalachian Highlands through expert pediatric care so that we can share more heartwarming stories like Edgar’s.

Read more Niswonger Children’s Stories here.