Dr. Fleming came in with a cold look on his face. It was a look that unnerved Baby and her parents. Baby began to get really uncomfortable.
"Josie, why don't you go in the playroom with Nurse Jackie? I need to talk to mommy alone." He said as the nurse escorted Josie out.
Marge was nervously playing with the strap of her pocketbook as Jake was anxious for the answer. "Well?"
"I have pin pointed the problem." Dr. Fleming said in a sad tone.
"Oh no, what is it?" Baby asked with tears in her eyes.
Dr. Fleming paused at first and then proceeded. "Acute lymphoblastic leukemia also known as ALL."
Baby couldn't help but release her tears she flew into Jakes arms. "Oh my God!"
"Ms. Houseman, it is treatable." Dr. Fleming told her.
"What do we have to do?" Jake asked as Marge was in total shock.
"I assume you are familiar with this type of cancer." He asked Jake.
"Yes I am."
"We need to get Josie on chemotherapy right away." He told her family.
"Was it something I did?" Baby asked as she imagined it to be her fault. "How can this happen."
"We still have no known causes for ALL. All we know it is affect children ages one through six." He told them.
"I can't believe this." Baby said as she looked her father. "I just can't."
Baby had to make herself understand that it was a possibility for Josie but actually hearing the words was a different story.
"Basically Josie doesn't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen through her body." He said with the same sad look as before. "Chemo is out best option right now and I suggest we not hesitate."
Jake turned to Baby as Marge still looked like she was in a state of shock. "Baby, we will get through this and Josie will be better than ever. Don't be upset we are going to beat this."
Josie was admitted two days later and chemotherapy began right away. Josie still didn't understand fully what was happening but she was in good spirits about everything. Even though she didn't understand cancer she was still asking questions to try and understand what was happening t her. Baby tried her best to answer them the best she could and not make it sound awful. The last thing she wanted was for Josie to be scared.
Since Baby hadn't been at her job long she had no vacation time accrued. Marge came and stayed with Baby so that while Baby was at work she could be with Josie. Baby needed all the help she could get. Between treatments and doctors visits Baby was burning the candle at both ends. Luckily summer break was coming soon.
Josie's body was having trouble handling the chemotherapy. The normal side affect, vomiting, was fully taking charge of Josie. Josie began to have no energy and looked pale all the time with black circles around her eyes. It hurt Baby to see her little girl that way. She had to understand that the outcome would prevail over this time of sickness.
It really didn't hit Baby with the affects till one weekend morning Josie said she wanted her mother to take her to the park. Baby hesitated but, Marge told her she couldn't shelter Josie. Baby was concerned because due to chemotherapy Josie's immune system was down.
Baby got Josie dressed in her favorite outfit and began to brush her hair. Josie wanted her hair in a pony tail with her yellow ribbon. As Baby brushed through Josie's hair she let out a loud gasp as she seen clumps of Josie's beautiful hair in the brush.
"What is it mommy?" Josie asked at Baby's gasp.
"Momma!" Baby yelled for Marge.
"Mommy what is wrong?" Josie asked again.
"Nothing honey. Go back in your room and get your baseball cap okay." Baby told her.
"Okay!" Josie said as she skipped off to her room.
Marge came running in Baby's room to see her sitting on her bed staring at the clumps of hair in her hand. "Oh honey."
Baby looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "I can't take this!"
Marge went and knelt down in front of Baby. "Don't you let Josie see you upset. Pull yourself together."
Baby knew she was right. She couldn't let Josie see her upset. It would only make things worse. "I know your right."
"Did she see the hair?" Marge asked.
"No I tried to hide it." Baby told her. "I sent her to her room to get her baseball cap."
"You need to explain to her that she could lose her hair." Marge told her daughter.
"Ready!" Josie said as she light up the room.
It wasn't long after that when all of Josie's hair fell out. She could not understand why it was falling out but Baby tried her best to understand. Josie was beginning to have a hard time with everything. She was asking so many question and began feeling sick all the time. She would tell Baby that she just wanted to look like she used too. That would just break Baby's heart.
Dr. Fleming was trying to lift there sprits. Things were beginning to look better for Josie. Her white blood cell count was back up and soon it wouldn't be long and Josie would be back on her feet again.
All hope was shattered when Josie passed out on her way into Dr. Fleming's office. Her white blood cell count was back down and looking worse than before.
"It has spread into her bone marrow." Dr. Fleming told Baby.
"What does that mean?" Baby asked cautiously.
"Chemotherapy isn't enough anymore." He laid the facts out for Baby. "She will need a bone marrow transplant to save her life."
"You think she might die?" Baby asked as tears streamed down her face.
"Baby, I am going to be as honest as I can. Her white blood cell count is down lower than it was before. The chemotherapy isn't working like it should so it spread to her bone marrow. If we don't find her a donor it will not look good for Josie." He told her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "We need to have all her family tested. Possibly one of you could be her match."
"When can we be tested?" Baby asked ready to take that step. "I have to make my little girl well again."
"We can test you now and you can have your parents come in as soon as possible." He told her.
Baby did not hesitate to be tested. She would do anything to save Josie and if it meant giving up her bone marrow she would in a heartbeat. She would die for that little girl.
"I will have the results by this afternoon. Swing back by about 3 pm and I can let you know then." Dr. Fleming said as he walked Baby and Josie to the door.
"Thank you, see you then." Baby said as she grabbed Josie by the hand and headed home.
"Will I get my bone marrow from you?" Josie asked as they got in the car.
"If I am a match for you. If not possibly Grammy and Grampy will be." Baby said trying to sound uplifting.
"Momma?" Josie asked as she turned to her mother. "Am I going to die?"
Baby couldn't even put the keys in the ignition. She was taken back by Josie's question. "No honey, you are not going to die. We are going to make you better and that is all you need to worry about."
Baby battled with her emotions on the whole ride home. Josie was starting to understand the situation more and more. She was too smart to be almost six. She would surprise Baby with things she would say or observe. She was just like her father, smart and quick witted.
Baby received the news that afternoon and it wasn't good news. Baby wasn't a match for Josie. Dr. Fleming said it was rare for a mother to be the bone marrow match. Still Baby had to give it a try. Baby just prayed that her parents or even Lisa could be Josie's match. One of them just had to be.
