CHARLES "HUNTER" DUCKWORTH WAS BORN ON AUGUST 24, 2001
AND HE PASSED AWAY ON MAY 31,2002.
HUNTER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ALL (ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA)
WHEN HE WAS 3 WEEKS OLD. I BELIEVE THE DATE WAS SEPT 21,2001.
WE TOOK HIM FOR HIS 3 WEEK CHECK UP, HE HAD A BUMP ON HIS HEAD,
IT LOOKED LIKE A LITTLE RAISED UP BRUISE.
AND THE DOCTOR SAID HE WAS A LITTLE JAUNDICE.
SHE TOLD US THAT THE BRUISE WAS PROBABLY A BIRTH MARK.
SHE WANTED TO SEE HIM BACK IN A FEW WEEKS.
HUNTER WAS NOT SICK OR ANYTHING, HE EVEN ATE GOOD.






THE NEXT DAY THE DOCTOR CALLED AND SAID
SHE WOULD LIKE TO DO A BLOOD TEST TO SEE IF HE MIGHT BE ANEMIC,
BECAUSE HE SHOULDNT STILL HAVE JAUNDICE AT 3 WEEKS OLD.
SHE SAID SHE JUST COULDNT GET HUNTER OUT OF HER HEAD,
SO WE SHOULD BRING HIM FOR THE BLOOD TEST.
WE TOOK HIM THE NEXT DAY.
AFTER THE TEST WE STOPPED AT THE STORE,
AND BEFORE WE GOT HOME THE DOCTORS OFFICE
WAS CALLING THE HOUSE AND
HUNTER'S DADDY'S WORK TRYING TO REACH US.
THEY WERE SHOCKED AT THE TEST RESULTS.
WHEN WE GOT HOME WE GOT HUNTER BACK TO THE DOCTOR
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE HAD LEUKEMIA.





WE TOOK HIM TO RUBY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL THAT NIGHT
IN MORGANTOWN WEST VIRGINIA. HE WAS ADMITTED TO THE PICU
AND HOOKED UP TO ALOT OF STUFF,THE NEXT TIME I SAW HIM THERE
WAS SO MANY TUBES HOOKED TO HIM. HE WAS IN THE PICU
FOR A WEEK,AND THEN SENT OUT TO THE FLOOR TO START
HIS CHEMO TREATMENTS. HIS FIRST STAY
IN THE HOSPITAL WAS 1 MONTH. HE DID REALLY WELL
ON THE CHEMO, IT DIDNT SEEM TO MAKE HIM SICK.
HE WENT THROUGH THE INTENSE CHEMO AND THEN
INTO THE MAINTAINENCE FASE. IT WAS TIME FOR ANOTHER
BONE MARROW ASPIRATION AND SPINAL TAP,
HUNTER HAD SEVERAL OF THOSE.
BUT THIS ONE CAME BACK THAT HE WAS STARTING TO RELAPSE
BEFORE HIS TREATMENTS WERE EVEN OVER.
THE DOCTOR SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO DO
A BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT.





WE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO
NORTH CAROLINA FOR THAT. BUT BEFORE WE COULD DO THAT
THEY HAD TO GET HIM BACK INTO REMISSION FIRST.
SO THEY ADMITTED HIM INTO THE HOSPITAL ONCE AGAIN
FOR HIGH DOSES OF CHEMO. HE WAS IN THERE FOR A MONTH
AND WASNT FEELING VERY WELL. HE WAS GETTING PRETTY SICK,
THEY WERE GIVING HIM BREATHING TREATMENTS,
AND FEEDING HIM THROUGH HIS TUBE,
BECAUSE HE HAD BLISTERS IN HIS THROAT
FROM THE CHEMO TREATMENTS.
FINALLY THEY HAD TO PUT HIM BACK INTO THE PICU
BECAUSE HIS OXYGEN LEVEL IN HIS BLOOD WAS LOW.
HIS WHITE CELLS WERE ZERO MOST OF THAT MONTH
BECAUSE OF THE CHEMO. HUNTER HAD PICKED UP AND INFECTION.
THEY THOUGHT IT WAS PNEMONIA,BUT WERENT SURE YET.
BUT THAT LEAD INTO (ARDS) WHICH IS
ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME.
HIS LUNGS WERE FULL OF FLUID.
HUNTER WAS IN THE PICU ALL THAT WEEK
TRYING TO FIGHT OFF THIS INFECTION.






BUT ON MAY 31ST HUNTER WAS TIRED OF FIGHTING
AND WE LOST HIM.
NOW HUNTER IS OUR LITTLE ANGEL.
HE IS IN NO MORE PAIN AND NO MORE SUFFERING.
WE MISS HIM SO MUCH.









A POEM WRITTEN BY A FRIEND FOR HUNTER

HUNTER...HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY,
SENT FROM HEAVEN ABOVE,
TO BE WITH ALL OF THOSE HE LOVED.
THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT HIM RIGHT FROM THE START,
SO CUDDLY AND LOVING,
WITH A SMILE THAT WOULD MELT YOUR HEART!
HIS STAY WAS TOO SHORT,
THERE WAS SO MUCH TO DO,
BUT I KNOW THAT HIS DREAMS WILL ALL COME TRUE.
HUNTER IS AN ANGEL, WITH A CROWN ON HIS HEAD.
HE IS HAPPY IN HEAVEN, HE IS NOW AT PEACE,
FINALLY FROM THE PAIN HE HAS RELEASE.
THIS PRECIOUS BABY WILL NO LONGER CRY,
FOR HE IS AN ANGEL, WAY UP HIGH!!