The Diagnosis
"Five, six, seven, eight."
The music started and Jamie began to perform the well rehearsed routine. A new contemporary dance class had just started at her father's church. She volunteered to take the class to help it get started. Jamie always helped out where she could.
Jamie was a smart girl. She always caught onto the dances quickly. Her dance instructor had asked her to take one of her advanced classes.
"Jamie, are you ok?" Claire the dance instructor inquired. "You don't look so good."
"I'm ok," Jamie openly lied. Her face was paler than usual and her step was slightly off. She continued on with her routine.
"Are you sure? You look tired."
"I'm fine."
The song was coming to an end when Jamie stopped abruptly. She began to pant and suddenly collapsed. Claire ran to her side. "Jamie! Jamie!" Claire checked Jamie's pulse. Her heart was beating uncontrollably. Claire placed her hand on Jamie's forehead. Her hair clung to her sweaty face.
"Jamie, you're burning up," Claire motioned to a young girl next to her. "April, go get her father. He should be in his office."
The girl hurried out of the room. She returned soon after with Reverend Sullivan right behind her.
He took one look at his daughter and all color drained from his face. His voice had suddenly gone hoarse, "Jamie! Baby, what happened?"
Claire answered the question for her, "She just collapsed. I thought there was something wrong, but she insisted that she was fine."
"I'm going to get my truck and pull it in front of the building. I'll drive her to the hospital myself," Reverend Sullivan explained.
"Dad, no! I'll just go home and sleep it off."
"Honey, no. We're going to find out what's going on."
He exited the room. Claire and the other dance students remained in the room and comforted Jamie. Her father returned and lifted his daughter from the ground. As he did, her leg came into view. Gasps came from around the room.
"Jamie," her father began in a worried tone, "Where'd you get that bruise from? It wasn't there this morning." His concern seemed to have greatly increased after seeing his daughter's leg.
Jamie peered down at her limb. "I don't know." Her voice became tense.
"There's another one on her arm," Melanie, another student, pointed out.
"Let's get her to the hospital," her father replied.
She was lifted into her father's truck and they began their long pursuit to the hospital. Their small home town had no hospital so they had to drive into town.
They finally arrived and Jamie's father carried her into the ER. They were attended to quickly by an older doctor. He was an old family friend. He entered Jamie's room and shook hands with Reverend Sullivan.
"Hello Jamie, I'm Dr. Bolino. How are you feeling?"
"Mmmm, I'm just, just really tired."
"Can you open your mouth for me, Sweetie?" He examined her gums. "And you have bruises, correct. Can I look at them?" He lifted the blanket and looked at the large bruise on her leg. "I want to run a few tests, ok Honey?"
"Ok."
Jamie remained in the hospital overnight. Several tests were run. The following afternoon Dr. Bolino entered Jamie's room. "Feeling any better, Jamie?"
"A little." "Good, can I speak to your dad in private?" "Sure."
Reverend Sullivan and Dr. Bolino stepped into the hall. "Blast from the past," the doctor said. "When I saw that bruise on her leg it all came back to me. It's exactly the same. She has it too." Dr. Bolino nodded. "I've already lost one of my girls to Leukemia. I don't think I can do it again.
"These days the success rate is higher than ever. Jamie has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, which has an amazing success rate with Chemotherapy. We can beat this."
Reverend Sullivan leaned against the wall and covered his face.
"Do you want me to tell her?" Dr. Bolino asked.
"No, that's my job."
"Ok, good luck."
"Thanks."
Dr. Bolino walked away. Reverend Sullivan remained outside the room. He wiped the tears from his eyes and attempted to regain his composure. He closed his eyes, "Lord, please give me strength." He then entered the room to deliver the devastating news.
"Five, six, seven, eight."
The music started and Jamie began to perform the well rehearsed routine. A new contemporary dance class had just started at her father's church. She volunteered to take the class to help it get started. Jamie always helped out where she could.
Jamie was a smart girl. She always caught onto the dances quickly. Her dance instructor had asked her to take one of her advanced classes.
"Jamie, are you ok?" Claire the dance instructor inquired. "You don't look so good."
"I'm ok," Jamie openly lied. Her face was paler than usual and her step was slightly off. She continued on with her routine.
"Are you sure? You look tired."
"I'm fine."
The song was coming to an end when Jamie stopped abruptly. She began to pant and suddenly collapsed. Claire ran to her side. "Jamie! Jamie!" Claire checked Jamie's pulse. Her heart was beating uncontrollably. Claire placed her hand on Jamie's forehead. Her hair clung to her sweaty face.
"Jamie, you're burning up," Claire motioned to a young girl next to her. "April, go get her father. He should be in his office."
The girl hurried out of the room. She returned soon after with Reverend Sullivan right behind her.
He took one look at his daughter and all color drained from his face. His voice had suddenly gone hoarse, "Jamie! Baby, what happened?"
Claire answered the question for her, "She just collapsed. I thought there was something wrong, but she insisted that she was fine."
"I'm going to get my truck and pull it in front of the building. I'll drive her to the hospital myself," Reverend Sullivan explained.
"Dad, no! I'll just go home and sleep it off."
"Honey, no. We're going to find out what's going on."
He exited the room. Claire and the other dance students remained in the room and comforted Jamie. Her father returned and lifted his daughter from the ground. As he did, her leg came into view. Gasps came from around the room.
"Jamie," her father began in a worried tone, "Where'd you get that bruise from? It wasn't there this morning." His concern seemed to have greatly increased after seeing his daughter's leg.
Jamie peered down at her limb. "I don't know." Her voice became tense.
"There's another one on her arm," Melanie, another student, pointed out.
"Let's get her to the hospital," her father replied.
She was lifted into her father's truck and they began their long pursuit to the hospital. Their small home town had no hospital so they had to drive into town.
They finally arrived and Jamie's father carried her into the ER. They were attended to quickly by an older doctor. He was an old family friend. He entered Jamie's room and shook hands with Reverend Sullivan.
"Hello Jamie, I'm Dr. Bolino. How are you feeling?"
"Mmmm, I'm just, just really tired."
"Can you open your mouth for me, Sweetie?" He examined her gums. "And you have bruises, correct. Can I look at them?" He lifted the blanket and looked at the large bruise on her leg. "I want to run a few tests, ok Honey?"
"Ok."
Jamie remained in the hospital overnight. Several tests were run. The following afternoon Dr. Bolino entered Jamie's room. "Feeling any better, Jamie?"
"A little." "Good, can I speak to your dad in private?" "Sure."
Reverend Sullivan and Dr. Bolino stepped into the hall. "Blast from the past," the doctor said. "When I saw that bruise on her leg it all came back to me. It's exactly the same. She has it too." Dr. Bolino nodded. "I've already lost one of my girls to Leukemia. I don't think I can do it again.
"These days the success rate is higher than ever. Jamie has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, which has an amazing success rate with Chemotherapy. We can beat this."
Reverend Sullivan leaned against the wall and covered his face.
"Do you want me to tell her?" Dr. Bolino asked.
"No, that's my job."
"Ok, good luck."
"Thanks."
Dr. Bolino walked away. Reverend Sullivan remained outside the room. He wiped the tears from his eyes and attempted to regain his composure. He closed his eyes, "Lord, please give me strength." He then entered the room to deliver the devastating news.