A family from Jacksonville, Fla., is in a battle against Leukemia after two of their children were diagnosed with the said disease.
The couple, Lacey and Will Smith, have three children, Liam, 5, and identical twins, Emma and Ella, 2. In a report from YouCaring, only weeks before the twins were born, their older brother, Liam, was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It was a tough time for the new parents as they go through multiple challenges at once.
The twins were supposed to be triplets, but due to a high risk and life threatening condition known as Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion or TRAP syndrome, the twins went through a fetal surgery, stayed for weeks in the NICU and was required a five-month bed rest after being delivered through a c-section eight weeks prior to their due date. In the process, one of the girls passed away. While Lacey and Will grieved for their child, they dealt with a son diagnosed with cancer and another two premature newborns.
After two years, Liam is still battling with Leukemia, but the good news is, the young boy is now in remission. However, he still needs about a year of continuous medication to fully recover.
Despite the good news, his parents are afraid that the disease might return. The sad part is, his younger sister, Emma, was also diagnosed with the same disease, and it puts Smith's third child and Emma's twin sister, Ella, at a higher risk. Ella will soon be going through a test to check her condition.
Emma is a fun and loving kid, full of life and energy. She used to be her big brother's fortress. With her current condition, Liam is returning the favor by giving her ideas on the things that will happen.
"He's been coaching Emma on what to expect, the best rooms to visit in the Children's hospital and to always ask for more animal crackers after treatments," YouCaring reveals.
YouCaring disclosed that Emma was admitted to Wolfson's Children's hospital and the child has already began her treatment. In a report from WSB-TV 2, Lacey posted an update on her Facebook. She captioned it with, "Chemo Day 3, she is doing great. Starting to feel the effects of the steroids; increased hunger, angry spurts and short temperament. Doing our best to stay entertained and keep her smiling."
Chemo Day 3, she is doing great. Starting to feel the effects of the steroids; increased hunger, angry spurts and short temperament. Doing our best to stay entertained and keep her smiling.#smithstrong
Posted by Lacey Smith on Friday, July 3, 2015
Liam's battle with cancer has already cost the family too much, but Emma's condition finally drowns the family with medical bills. They are currently raising $100,000 to finance the medication of their two children.
Anyone who has the heart to donate can extend their help by visiting their YouCaring page. It will also help the Smiths if the fundraising campaign will be shared across social media.
