Family Members

• Abbey - 13 years old

• Travis - 16 years old

• Traci - Mom

• Jim - Dad (passed away May 13th, 2006)

When Abbey was turning one, she had an ear infection that just wasn’t healing right. It turned out that she was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphocyctic Leukemia). She started on chemotherapy. Her leukemia relapsed about 1 ½ years later. She started chemo over again this time with radiation to the brain and spine. She was cancer free for four years. A high white blood cell count that continued after a sinus infection brought the diagnosis of CML. This is an adult type of leukemia that is not found in children very often. The only known cure for this is a bone marrow transplant. Medication can keep the leukemia in check for a while, but at some point it would come back. Abbey told us at the age of 9 that she wanted the cancer all gone and wanted a bone marrow transplant. Her brother and parents were not close enough matches so on April 2, 2003, Abbey had a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor. She was in the hospital for 4 weeks and then in and out many times from side effects and viruses. She will celebrate 4 years post transplant this April.

Jim was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma in March 2005. This is a rare and aggressive type of cancer. He had six rounds of chemotherapy and then had a bone marrow transplant with his older brother as his donor. Unfortunately, Jim’s lymphoma returned in March of 2006 and claimed his life on May 13th, 2006. He was an inspiration to many people with his positive outlook on life and his strong faith.

Abbey is in 8th grade at Clear-Creek Amana Middle School. She participates in the choir at school and church activities. She plays piano and likes to swim. She loves to keep busy with craft projects recently teaching herself to crochet.

Travis is a junior at Clear-Creek Amana High School. He plays saxophone in the band and jazz band, he bowls on a youth league and keeps busy with that and church activities. He also plays piano and keyboard. He recently started a job at a movie theater and is enjoying having his own money to spend.

Since Abbey’s transplant, we have participated in the family events that Dance Marathon has hosts. Abbey enjoys going to Adventureland, and Planet X the best. These events plus others just help our family get out and away from home and enjoy what everyone else enjoys. That’s important to us. Dance Marathon has done such a tremendous job at helping cancer kid families and for that we support them in all of their efforts. You are a great group!!!! Thank you!!!!

Story written by Traci Johnson (mother)