When Maelin-Kate’s parents, Paul and Megan, brought her home from China after adopting her in 2017, they knew she had medical needs. One leg was shorter than the other — hip dysplasia, it turned out.
Maelin-Kate was scheduled for orthopedic surgery within weeks of her adoption. That’s how her Fanconi anemia came to light.
At first, though, it was something of a mystery. Her labs were clearly abnormal, but not indicative of a specific disease; there was no knowable family history to comb through.
But, one of Maelin-Kate’s doctors at a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital affiliate clinic just happened to have worked at an institution specializing in Fanconi anemia. She recognized the very rare blood disease right away.
People with Fanconi anemia do not produce healthy bone marrow – so they don’t produce healthy blood. Untreated, this genetic disease can cause leukemia. Maelin-Kate’s was caught early.
Families, like Maelin-Kate's, will never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food.
Megan describes the St. Jude care team who saw them through treatment as being like friends and family.
“Maelin-Kate knew her doctors and nurses loved her. She knew that they wanted the best for her,” Megan said. Maelin-Kate now visits St. Jude for regular checkups. She’s the youngest of five children and the only girl.
St. Jude patient Maelin-Kate and her mom
She has glitter in her veins. She's just super joyful. Every day, she finds a reason why it's the best day ever. She'll say, ‘I see a butterfly – it's the best day ever.' Or, ‘We ate spaghetti for dinner – it's the best day ever.’ She makes everybody smile every day because she loves everything about life.
— Maelin-Kate's mom, Megan
Meet more patients
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Patient Art Stories & Gifts
Meet patient artists and learn how art helps them cope with diagnosis and treatment. We feature patient artwork at the hospital and on gifts to inspire others.
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Meet Leonel
At just 3 years old, Leonel underwent surgery to remove the mass and was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. Leonel found hope and care at St. Jude.
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Meet Jean Pierre
At 18, Jean Pierre is headed to university. At three years old, he was treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for craniopharyngioma, a slow-growing brain tumor.
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Meet Eduardo
At 6 months old, Eduardo was referred to St. Jude where he was diagnosed with liver cancer. His treatment included surgery to remove the mass and chemotherapy.
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Meet Patient Mikayla
Over Christmas 2020, something was wrong with then one-year-old Mikayla. Referred to St. Jude, her cancer was identified as acute myeloid leukemia. Mikayla successfully underwent chemotherapy.
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Meet Gabe
When the lights on the Christmas tree hurt Gabe’s eyes, his mom knew something was wrong.
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Meet Krew
What started out as a seemingly innocent bump on the head was later heartbreakingly revealed as cancer. Krew was diagnosed with leukemia at just 7 months old.
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Meet patient Jacob
Jacob had frequent headaches and wasn’t himself. Diagnosed with leukemia, he was referred to St. Jude for treatment including chemotherapy to try and save his life.
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Meet Jamelia
At 4 years old, Jamelia felt bad and saw blood in her urine. Diagnosed with renal cell cancer, she was referred to St. Jude for treatment including proton therapy.
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Meet Imani
Imani was diagnosed with cancer at 5 weeks old. Her family feared the worst. But at St. Jude, there was hope for her future.
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Meet Alfredo
It started when Alfredo had unexplained bruises and a constant fever. A local doctor who called for bloodwork and results confirmed that he had leukemia.
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Meet Levi
Levi was found to have acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and was quickly referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where he began chemotherapy.
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Meet Mabry
When Mabry was diagnosed with blood cancer, she was immediately sent to St. Jude. "Everyone here cares about your child," said her mom.
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Meet Tammy
When Tammy's parents discovered he had anaplastic ependymoma, a type of brain tumor, they turned to St. Jude for their son's treatment.
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Meet Misheel
Misheel was diagnosed with brain cancer and was referred to St. Jude, where she has received treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She has refused to let her illness keep her from spreading joy to others.