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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Meet Micah
Micah was referred to St. Jude for treatment after a brain tumor was discovered during an emergency room visit prompted by persistent headaches and nausea.
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Meet Rylee
When Rylee was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, she was referred to St. Jude for treatment. She received chemotherapy and had surgery to remove the tumor. Amidst these challenges, the family found hope at St. Jude.
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Meet Mila
Mila was found to have both Down Syndrome and a leukemia precursor. She underwent months of chemotherapy at St. Jude for acute myeloid leukemia, but even on days she didn’t feel great, she was smiling and playing.
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Meet Yazleemar
Yazleemar is an outgoing and expressive teenager. In 2012, Yazleemar was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a rare cancer. St. Jude offered more than treatment to her and her family.
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Meet Kaleb
Kaleb was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that causes easy bruising and bleeding.
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Meet Hazel
Hazel was referred to St. Jude for treatment after a CT scan showed she had a brain tumor. It was diagnosed as medulloblastoma.
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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.
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Meet Chance
Chance was diagnosed with metastatic medulloblastoma. After surgery, referred to St. Jude, he received treatments for his brain and spine.
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Meet Samara
Samara was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with Wilms tumor. Samara was able to finish treatment well.
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Meet Fletcher
Fletcher is a 12-year-old boy and a huge Cleveland Browns fan. So it was a dream come true when he announced the team's pick in the NFL draft on April 23.
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Meet Madeline
Madeline was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.
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Meet Lizbeth
Lizbeth was referred to St. Jude for treatment after being diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare disorder of the immune system.
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Meet Kamryn
At 2 years old, Kamryn's bloodwork indicated he had a form of blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Doctors referred him to St. Jude where he would undergo more than 2 years of chemotherapy while growing to love activities like Music Therapy.
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Meet Gracie
What Gracie's mother initially thought was appendicitis turned out to be a far worse diagnosis for Gracie's condition: acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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Meet Abigail and Gracie
At St. Jude, Abigail and Gracie are both undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.