Pix taken February 2002

November 28, 2002 - Our family has much to be thankful for this year.  As of November 16th, Erin is completely off all medications!  She continues to do well since her bone marrow transplant and has the desires of any 6 year old.  We are blessed and give thanks to God and all those that continue to keep us in their prayers.  

May 16, 2002 - (This is from Laura, Erin's Grandma.) Erin has continued to amaze her doctors. Her blood is doing great and last week she had her central line removed.  Hard to believe it has almost been a year since her bone marrow transplant. Her hair has come back in very curly and thick.  She will be in kindergarden again next year as they want to make sure that she is ready for 1st grade.  She is playing softball but she is too small for the regular batting helmets, so she uses a PINK bike helmet. She can hit the ball, but not very far. She is fun to watch.

April 29, 2002 - Erin has improved greatly since the last update.  She is almost completely off all all medications, her hair is starting to grow back - CURLY!, she is losing her puffiness, and the C-line is to be removed as soon as it can be scheduled. 

November 22, 2001 -  Erin was allowed to come home at the beginning of October.  However, after being home for just a week, she had to return to Cincinnati due to an infection in her C-line or heart.  Fortunately, it was caught in time.  After a week and a half, she was able to return to Indiana where she continues to improve daily.  Thanksgiving Day was spent with family at Laura and Seymore's.  Erin had a great time!  She continues to break all records as her blood counts go off the chart.  She still has a way to go, but is well on the road.

September 24, 2001 - Erin is breaking all records! Her doctors are amazed at how quickly she is healing! She is still in Cinn., Ohio at a place called Vernon Manor. It's sort of a 1/2 way place between the hospital and home. The feeding tube is out and Erin is now making up for lost time! She loves chocolate and she is getting lots of it!  She is allowed to go out late at night (with a mask) when there is not a lot of people around or to the park on a calm day.

September 14, 2001 - Wonderful news!!  In a phone call with Terri:  Terri said Erin is doing SUPER.  Erin is quite where she should be with eating, so the docs will leave the feeding tube in a little longer.  However, they are going to release her to Vernon Manor (the hotel Erin's family is staying at) on Tuesday...she will be there for at least 100 days.  The big thing is she will be out of the hospital.

September 12, 2001 - In a phone call from Terri, she said Seymore had called her (Terri and Tracy are home-Seymore is at the hospital). The doctors said if Erin starts eating she can be released! She'll have to go to Vernon Manor (the hotel the family has been staying at while Erin's in the hospital), but it a big step to recovery! Her blood cells are over 2,000!

September 4, 2001 - (This is from Erin's mom - Terri)   "I just talked to mom (Laura) and this evening has been better.  Earlier Erin was throwing up blood and having very, very loose bowel movements, and a lot of pain but the doctors say it is all normal. By the way, I found out what she got in the mail. It is a really pretty doll, needless to say she was thrilled. She's getting spoiled rotten! Oh well, one of those good side effects of being in the hospital. Saturday night I stayed with her and she got up to go to the bathroom. She yelled for me, so of course, I went running thinking she needed me. WRONG!  She was playing basketball with wads of toilet paper while she was sitting on the toilet.   She made a basket with the trash can and wanted me to see!!! HA!HA! Only kids can find potty humor....She's keeping her attitude. At least, it's coming in handy. She loves cards, she got 6 today dad (Seymore) said.  I talked to Ellie earlier, she was saying how lucky we are to have so much support, and she's right, it makes so much difference knowing how much love surrounds us.  There are people at the hospital that have no one, I can't imagine.  Then Ellie was saying how lucky I am to have my parents, like dad, cleaning up Erin and her pooping on his socks (which Erin thinks is hilarious and can make her smile even when she is in pain).  I asked Ellie if she had to clean up after Lee, would she? or if it were Shelby would your parents?  Of course she said yes...I think it helped her to understand....This is scary for all of us, but I think my dad is probably the worst he get teary eyed almost daily and if Erin cries he cries.   Boy am I lucky. I really do appreciate you and of course all our family and online friends and family...Love and God Bless Terri  P.S.  Erin's white blood cells are up a little from 0 on Monday to 100 today. It's a start...."

August 31, 2001 - (In an email Laura writes...)  We knew that she was doing so well and that it probably wouldn't last....She has quit eating and they have her on morphine.  She has started getting sores in her mouth....Also, the chemo and radiation wears away your stomach lining..so her stomach hurts her.  She was running 104 degree temp yesterday but it has gone down today to about 100.  She has lost weigh down to 24 lbs. They put in a feeding tube and are feeding her 24 hrs until they get her to where they want her.  She seems a little bit better today...but she doesn't want to eat or play.  She did color for a little while.

August 28, 2001 - (In an email from Laura) Erin's bone marrow transplant took place at 2pm eastern time today.  She has been doing wonderfully so far with very little effects from the chemo or radiation.  Her appetite and spirits remain good.

August 21, 2001 - (In an email from Laura)  Erin is in good humor today and her C-line hasn't slowed her down one bit....It goes from her left shoulder, under the skin toward the center of her chest...it goes into the main vein of her heart...they can take blood or give her medicine without having to poke her over and over....She will have to keep it in at least 3 months..it looks uncomfortable..but she handles it well.

August 20, 2001 - (In an email from Laura) Erin had surgery today to put in the central line.  She came through well.  Her nurse has only one other patient to care for so Erin will be closely watched over.  She begins chemo and radiation treatments tomorrow.

August 17, 2001 - The stem cell harvest from Laura went very well.  On Monday, August 20, Erin and family will return to Cincinnati to begin the transplant process.  Erin will have a central line put in and some more testing.  Chemo and radiation treatments will also start.  Treatments will be from head to toe...Erin will most likely lose her hair.  Then on the 28th, the actual transplant will take place.  Erin will be in isolation at this time as she will have no immune system.  Right now, Erin is given an 85% chance the transplant will work.  Laura will also have another blood test done on the 20th so that on the 21st day of transplant, Erin's blood will be checked against Laura.  If the transplant is working, Erin's blood should begin to look like Laura's.

August 10, 2001 - Erin's grandparents, Laura and Seymore Parrish, will go to Cincinnati, OH today to begin the process for the bone marrow transplant.  After the marrow is harvest from Laura, it will be "pumped up" with antibiotics to increase the chances of the transplant succeeding for Erin.

August 3, 2001 - Erin's bone marrow transplant has been set for August 28th, 2001.  It was felt the transplant was more urgently needed at this time than the heart surgery.

July 23, 2001 - This week Erin went to the hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio for checkups and pre-bone marrow transplant testing.  It was discovered that Erin needed ear tubes which were put in during the time there.  It was also learned that she has an irregular heart beat which could required further surgery on heart.

June 2, 2001 - Erin's blood counts on Monday, May 29, were up which means her steroid must be working, she will still need a bone marrow transplant, but in the meantime she will hopefully not need any more transfusions....and she can still attend her dance class and go to baseball games and be pretty "normal" except for wearing a   little more protection (like her helmet).  Additionally, it has been learned that both Erin's grandmother (Laura) and her uncle (Mike) are perfect matches for the transplant.

April 4, 2001 - Today it was learned the steroids Erin has been on are not helping her.  The doctor is giving the meds 6 months to work.  If there is no change, Erin will need to have a bone marrow transplant ASAP.   Even this is no guarantee that she will survive.  What she and her family need now are PRAYERS.

February 23, 2001 - I had the pleasure of seeing Erin during a visit to Indiana this month.  She looks absolutely wonderful and is doing well.  Her blood work have been favorable.  Erin continues to participate in dance class and if all goes well, a wonderful opportunity awaits!

August 23, 2000 - Erin turned 5 in July, and although her life seems to be going peaceful, all is not well.  During a recent checkup, it was learned that the bone marrow transplant, which was not expected to be needed until her teenage years, MUST be done within then next one or two MONTHS.  A match has been found, but it is not a PERFECT match.  And even with the transplant, Erin could still die.  Knowing this, Erin's parents, who do not have burial insurance, have signed guardianship over to Erin's grandmother.  PLEASE - pray for this little girl and her family.....that they will not need to face the loss of another child.

April 6, 2000 - Erin continues to progress well since her surgery in January.  The doctor has given her the okay to do anything she wants and she is currently enrolled in dance class.  She's a real cutie in her dance tutu!

January 30, 2000 - Other than being a bit "bratty", Erin is back to normal and doing fine.  She returns to the hospital for a follow up visit in a week and then every 2 weeks for 3 months.

January 28, 2000 - After spending an extra day in the hospital due to needing a blood transfusion, Erin was released and returned home.

January 25, 2000 - Today, Erin successfully underwent surgery to fix a hole in her heart.  She was resting comfortably in ICU and was expected to be released as early as Thursday afternoon.

December 8, 1999 - Erin is now 4 years old, weighs 21.8 lbs and is 33-3/4" tall.  As some babies are, she was born with a hole in her heart.  Normally, as the baby grows, the hole heals itself.  In Erin's case, it didn't.  Her veins are very small and thin.  If the hole isn't corrected, the strain could cause them to collapse or rupture.  Surgery is scheduled for January 25th, 2000.  The surgeons plan to enter through her side, verse opening her chest to make it easier on Erin.