October 1 , 2020 The Beacon • 53
Cancer story shared
By Marianne Austin
September was Childhood Cancer Awareness Month , a time to learn about the impact this disease has on children and their families . This is an urgent situation for families and children affected , trying to work and maintain some normalcy while dealing with hospital bills , missed work due to doctor and hospital visits , the illness the cancer brings , and staying strong while taking one day at a time .
On Sept . 3 of this year , 2-year-old Remington Rizer was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia . Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes too many immature lymphocytes ( a type of white blood cell ). Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow . His parents first noticed he had a rash , but then it spread all over his body . They found out his rash was from a condition called petechiae . Then he started bruising easily , and it kept getting worse .
“ We knew that something was not right ,” his mother Chelsea Scheitler said . “ We took him to the doctor Sept . 2 , and he was diagnosed on the third . He was tired all the time the month before . But that was not what we were expecting at all . We went to the Coshocton ER , and he was taken by squad to Akron Children ’ s Hospital . A low immune system runs in our family , but no one else has it . It really threw us off .”
If you ’ re wondering what petechiae looks like in leukemia , it tends to resemble a rash and can come in the form of small purple , red or brown spots on the skin .
“ His stomach is extended . He has an enlarged liver they are watching right now . The biggest thing now
On Sept . 3 of this year , 2-year-old Remington Rizer was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia .
Submitted is chemo once a week in Akron , labs drawn , making sure everything is where it needs to be . There are lots of things going on . I ’ m in the medical field , and it ’ s hard for me to comprehend ,” said Scheitler , who works for Coshocton County EMS and Majora Lane Nursing and Rehabilitation .
Scheitler described the upcoming process . “ We ’ re hoping for a couple more good treatments . He has a lumbar puncture ( spinal tap ) on the first , the eighth and the 29th day . The spinal fluid is needed to make sure it ’ s not in his spine and other neurological things like that . Looking at bone marrow tells how many cancer cells are still there . They told us by the second month he would be losing his hair . But he has been losing a lot of hair . That is one of the hardest things for us . It ’ s been rough . I think he ’ ll be better . I think we caught it pretty soon . But it ’ s here . You ’ re just lost , and you don ’ t know what to do .”
His sister Brynlee is 6 years old and in the first grade . “ She is kind of young , and it ’ s kind of hard to explain . She understands that her brother is really sick . Going for chemo , she doesn ’ t understand . Fouryear-old Paislee is in preschool and is oblivious to what is going on . She ’ s just glad her ‘ Bubbie ’ is home and she can talk to him every day . He is tired and sleeps a lot , but he took a couple of steps here and there . We ’ re kind of working on his mobility . Hopefully , he won ’ t lose more . He eats a lot because of the steroids ,” Scheitler said .
Dad , Seth Rizer , works for Crozier Welding and has been feeling overwhelmed at times trying to work and be there for appointments .
“ We ’ re just taking it one day at a time and hoping for the best . We need continued prayers . Lots of prayers is the biggest thing ,” Scheitler said .
Family friends have organized Remington ’ s Leukemia Fund on behalf of Seth Rizer at www . gofundme . com / f / remislukemia-fund .
On an encouraging note , statistics show about 98 % of children with ALL go into remission within weeks after starting treatment , and about 90 % of those children can be cured . Patients are considered cured after 10 years in remission , according to Saint Jude ’ s Children ’ s Research Hospital .
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