“When I was in high school, I never dreamed that my oldest son would save the life of my youngest daughter…”
For Wendy Malone Noonan, a 1987 SHHS graduate, life recently took an unexpected, sharp turn.
Noonan’s daughter, Adaire, just four years old, was diagnosed in March with acute myloid leukemia (AML). She’s been treated at the Fred Hutchison Children’s Hospital in Seattle, Wash. Thursday she underwent a bone marrow transplant. The marrow was donated by her 11 years old brother, Shane.
“We found the AML during a routine checkup for kindergarten,” Noonan, the daughter of Skip and Sharon Malone of Sweet Home said by phone from the hospital.
Noonan said there are two primary types of leukemia, AML which strikes primarily adults but can impact children and ALL. All is usually curable within two years.
AML is best treated with a marrow transplant. If the donor is related there is a 70 percent chance of success and if the donor is not related that success rate drops to 50 percent.
Adaire’s transplant occurred at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. There is now a 35 day waiting period as doctors wait for the blood to graft to Adaire’s bones.
“Sometimes the body will reject the donor marrow,” Noonan said. “There can be severe sickness associated with this procedure.”
For the Noonans, life has been turned upside down.
Her husband, Robb, is employed by Hexcel Aerospace Inc. as a maintenance machinist in Kent, Wash. which is about 45 minutes from Seattle. He has normally gotten in several hours each week in overtime but can’t now as he tends to the family’s other children.
Shane is 11, Christa is 8 and Donovan is 6. Noonan’s sister is helping, watching two of the children. The tight-knit family is now separated most days.
“It’s been a nightmare,” Noonan said. “Adaire went into the hospital on March 7 and she’s basically been there since. I’ve been with her every day.”
Adaire’s progress has had its obstacles. On Mother’s Day she developed spinal meningitis and went into a coma-like state.
“She had to learn to walk and talk all over again after that,” Noonan said.
Although the family has insurance that is covering most of the extensive medical bills, Rob’s paycheck is being cut nearly in half due to decreased hours worked.
“It’s a struggle to make the mortgage now,” Mrs. Noonan said. The family only recently moved to Puyallup, Wash. from Buckley, Wash.
Noonan characterizes her daughter’s attitude as “Tigger-like” talking about the famous children’s tale.
“She astounds the nurses with her energy,” Noonan said. “She’s perky and lights up those around here. When she does have a down day it doesn’t last long. Even when she’s really sick, she still has a positive attitude.”
Although she is thankful that her daughter is being treated in an excellent hospital, Noonan said life for families forced to live each day in that setting is tough.
“There are just too many things a parent is supposed to know,” Noonan said.
She estimates cost of the transplant at up to $500,000.
In an email to family and friends over the weekend, Noonan noted that Adaire is “doing well…acting as if nothing ever happened.”
Her brother is “walking around like nothing ever happened to him. He has not complained once since it all happened. I am beamin with joy. I got to see the children together again, Shane, Christa and Donovan. They were all playing nicely together. ”
Noonan said she is preparing school supplies for her older children, which is a task since she’s attached most of the day to the hospital.
Persons who wish to donate to help the Noonans may do so at the Sweet Home branch of Wells Fargo bank.