Raena’s Story

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia care from Niswonger Children’s Hospital

Raena has practiced karate since she was four. She’s earned a purple belt and learned the bō, a staff used in the martial arts. She loves the challenge karate brings and the self-confidence and discipline it’s taught her.

But late last summer, Raena had to put up her bō so she could concentrate on her health. A week before her 13th birthday, Raena’s parents, Michael and Crystal, noticed their normally energetic daughter didn’t have any energy. She just laid in bed and scrolled through her phone. “They thought I was being a lazy teenager,” Raena says with a laugh.

Her parents return the laugh. “Well, no, she’s kind of not,” Michael contends. “She didn’t want to get out of bed. But she also didn’t feel good at all. When she started throwing up, that’s when it became a red flag.”

Crystal took Raena to the pediatrician, who immediately sent them to Niswonger Children’s Hospital. Once there, doctors diagnosed her with leukemia and sent her and Crystal to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis by jet while Michael traveled across the state by car to join them.

If there is a silver lining to Raena’s diagnosis, it would be discovering the therapeutic power of music through Child Life Services at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

Once at the hospital in Memphis, Raena began treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. She celebrated her 13th birthday in a hospital bed.

The first few months there were rough. The medicine to cure Raena only made her sicker. She was unable to keep food down and became too weak to walk. It took six months for doctors to stabilize her enough to return home to Chuckey. And while she still has to travel to Memphis regularly, she could continue weekly chemotherapy close to home at the St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

Raena is about halfway through a two-and-a-half-year treatment program and getting stronger every day. Feeling comparatively better, she spent her 14th birthday at home with family.

If there is a silver lining to Raena’s diagnosis, it would be discovering the therapeutic power of music through Child Life Services at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

Child Life Specialists at Niswonger Children’s Hospital are certified professionals who are committed to making the hospital experience as positive as possible for children of all ages. They prepare children for procedures and help them express fear or anxiety related to their hospital experience.

Child Life Services uses music therapy, a clinical and evidence-based practice, to address patients’ physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs, and to positively impact the body's ability to heal. For Raena, the experience has been life-changing.

“She’s been writing a song and learning to play the ukulele,” Michael says. “She and her therapy teacher have a really good time together. She really gets excited when she sees her.”

Raena’s about halfway through a two-and-a-half-year treatment program and getting stronger every day. Now that she’s feeling better, she is looking forward to returning to the Dojo and training with her Sensei.

Want to learn more about Niswonger Children’s Network?

The Niswonger Children’s Network is dedicated to improving the health and future of the Appalachian Highlands through expert pediatric care so that we can share more heartwarming stories like Raena’s.

Read more Niswonger Children’s Stories here.