A mum has shared her devastation after her three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer – after doctors allegedly said her symptoms were ‘normal for toddlers’.
Katelynn Squires, 29, says her daughter Paislee started experiencing unusual bruising, fevers, pale skin, and pain in June 2022.
But it wasn’t until she fell off of a chair and “instantly turned black and purple” that the mum felt her concerns were taken seriously.
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Tests revealed the devastating truth – the then-two-year-old was actually suffering from B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
“That day haunts me,” Katelynn, from Florida, US, told What’s The Jam, of the day she was diagnosed.
“Paislee had multiple symptoms [leading up to this], including severe pain that stopped her getting out of bed.
“I took her to the doctor and they said it was normal.
“I had a gut instinct that something was wrong.
“She ended up falling off her little toddler chair about a month later and instantly bruised and swelled up, turning black and purple on July 17.
“I called the on-call paediatrician and explained her symptoms, and they advised us to take her to our local children’s hospital.
“A few tests and an hour later me and my husband Zackary were told the worst news possible.”
Paislee began chemotherapy immediately, but just two weeks later she was diagnosed with pseudomonas, a deadly bacterial infection (likely caused by her poor immune system at this point), and her chemotherapy had to be postponed.
Katelynn said: “It was the biggest scare of our lives.
“Paislee was completely limp and lifeless.
“The infection ran from her bone marrow site to her port.
“Soon, her organs were failing.
“Paislee ended up with stage four septic shock, and both sites on her back and chest turned into horrible wounds that stayed open for eight months.
“We started to call the hospital ‘home’.”
During the months she was treated, Paislee required surgery several times a week.
Katelynn said: “She began a treatment called Blinatumomab, which is an immunotherapy drug.
“She did two rounds of treatment – 24 hours a day for a month straight – and then she had plastic surgery to cover the wounds.
“They used a piece of her thigh to do it.
“Thankfully, the procedure went great and wounds are now finally healed.”
The brave toddler is currently on daily chemotherapy and steroids as she continues her fight against cancer.
Her mum said: “Paislee is doing phenomenally.
“It’s not easy, but she is determined to win.
“We are so proud of her resilience and strength during treatment.
“She loves to play Barbies with her big sister Peyton (aged eight).
“Peyton holds her hand and comforts her when Paislee needs it.”
Despite the toddler responding well to treatment, Katelynn says the entire experience has been terrifying.
She added: “I feel a lot of anxiety still.
“No parent ever wants to hear or even think about cancer, but here we are living that nightmare
.”How did I go from hearing ‘your toddler’s bruising and symptoms are normal’ to ‘she has cancer’? I still question and wonder.”
Katelynn shares Paislee’s experience on Instagram to raise awareness for childhood cancer and highlight the warning signs.
In a recent post, she wrote: “Our family has chosen to embrace life’s blessings with gratitude and purpose.
“Instead of dwelling solely on the challenges that childhood cancer brings, we’ve found strength in using our experiences to make a positive impact.
“We believe that each of us is placed on this Earth for a reason, and for us, it’s become clear that part of that purpose is to help others facing similar battles.”
Katelynn added: “I wish people knew how to advocate for themselves and children.
“Stop waiting on the paediatrician’s call and do what you think is best for your child.”
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