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Ian's Story
Ian DeLisle when entering the sixth grade, which in the Gardiner Area School District meant also transitioning into a new school, decided to join a fall sport so he could make new friends. Ian joined the cross country team. Lisa Dill Ian's cousin who worked as a seventh grade teacher at the school always waited to bring him home after practice. While watching one of Ian's practices she noticed that he was unable to run around the school building more than once without having to walk because he was so short of breath. Lisa called Ian's father, who had been noticing Ian coming home with pounding headaches after practices, and being overly lethargic. After Lisa's call he rushed home to bring him to the doctor's office.
While at the doctor's office the nurses ran very routine tests including a blood differential. The results from the blood test showed that Ian had a shortage of red blood cells which was causing his shortness of breath, what his father called "altitude sickness." Not only was his red blood cell count low, but so were all of his blood counts. After being sent home, Ian his mother and father were called into the Doctor's office where they were told Ian had Leukemia. Ian's doctor had reserved him a room at the Maine Medical Center's Barbara Bush Children's Ward.
Not more than five hours after he had been outside running around his new school, not more than two weeks after he entered the sixth grade Ian had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphotic Leukemia (A.L.L.).
Ian began a cycle of chemo-therapy that made him sick, but the staff had him taking his dose of chemo and then taking a dose of anti-nauseau pills so as to avoid an sickness. Ian decided since his treatment was going to make him loose his hair that he was going to shave it off before it fell out. His Aunt Judy who is a hairstylist came down to the hospital on her day off and shaved Ian's hair. He rubbed his head, grinned, and threw his baseball cap back on.
Ian spent most of his days sleeping, when he was awake he was watching Sponge-Bob-Square Pants, eating, and playing games. Ian always had company while he was there, one of his parents would take the day shift and the other the night, until their vacation days were used up. His grandparents, cousins, aunts, brother and sisters, came to cover shifts so that his parents could get rest, or escape the hospital which their son could not leave.
Ian's classmates who he never really got to meet, sent him letters and get well cards. They also sent him a box of coloring books, word search books, magazines, and other time killing activities. After a three weeks in the hospital Ian began to venture down to the first floor and out into the courtyard where he would play with his race car (electronics are forbidding within the hospital walls). Ian spent his 11th birthday in the hospital. Because his family is so big, shifts needed to be taken to share the day with him.
Shortly after his birthday Ian was able to go home, but not more than two weeks later he was back in the hospital with an infection. He stayed in the hospital for a week and was able to come home. Twice a week for three months Ian had to return to the hospital for treatments. For the next three months he had to return to the hospial once a week for treatments. His treatments were soon able to happen at home. On Tuesdays a nurse would come and draw his blood to run tests, and the next day she would return to administer his chemo-therapy.
Ian missed the majority of his sixth grade year. When seventh grade came around he was more like himself again, but he had to face going to school with the side-effects of his treatment. For the first few weeks many of the children would stare at his bald head, but they soon got used to it.
Academically Ian had fallen behind in his studies. He had been tutored to help him catch up, but his being behind was causing him to be depressed. His best friend who stood by his side through all of his treatments, Kenny Stackpole, would come by on the weekends when Ian was not being tutored to keep his spirits up. Even when Ian's medications caused his mood swings, Kenny shrugged it off, because he understood.
In February of his seventh grade year Ian's wish was going to come true, he and his family were going to go to Disney World. While in Florida the Make-A-Wish Organization had organized a van for the family to drive in, a home at the Give Kids the World site, as well as many passes to the many parks at Disney and also passes to Seaworld.
Walking around the parks Ian got very tired his legs had not regained all of their strength. His parents got a wheel chair and pushed him around for most of the day. The combination of the heat and the excitement of it all was at times too much for him.
Then we went to the Magic Kingdom. I immediatley got a wheelchair for Ian, and he and I were off. We were racing in and out of the people because the park was so crowded. He had his special pass that allowed him to bypass all of the lines so we went straight for space mountain. I think we went on it five times, he just thought it was the coolest thing ever. When we left the ride he ran to the next ride he wanted to go on. He left me in the dust pushing the empty wheelchair. We ended up at the race cars. It was on. Ian in car number 18 and me in the seat next to him. Had we not been on a guided track he would have flown past all of the other cars. After a few more rides he hopped back in the wheelchair as we went to meet up with our parents and brother and sister.
Ian's trip helped him to focus on his school work when he got back. Although it was still a challenge he began to pull his grades up and was less frustrated overall. Ian stared the eighth grade this year. He is more confident now then he ever was before he was sick. He used to be shy and now we cannot get him to quiet down most of the time. He asked a girl out for the first time, she said no. Her loss I suppose, but he is not afraid to ask for what he wants anymore. In November he finished his cycle of chemo-therapy and he is still in remission five months later.
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