Moms fight cancer in children differently | New

Mothers of children with cancer learn to defend themselves with all that is needed to ensure that no one else will experience what has been experienced.

Shannon Caserma's son, Jackson, was only 3 years old when he was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia on February 1, 2017.

"I was angry when they told me the first time," Caserma said. "I did not cry. I knew something was wrong and I told everyone for a month and a half. Everyone said that I reacted excessively and that I was only an overprotective mother. He also blew his nose for two weeks and everyone said that it was allergy. "

Jackson has also caught the fifth disease, a viral disease that causes a red rash on the face.

"He got sicker in the last few months before the diagnosis," she said. "The first three months were unclear. Something happened during his second phase of

treatment. Someone missed a medication that he was supposed to receive. It was only four weeks later, they realized he had missed it.

This led Jackson to receive an overdose of chemotherapy. He developed fungal pneumonia and was placed in isolation for 33 days with only an intravenous tube to feed him.

"He stopped eating and sleeping all the time," Caserma said. "He was not my little boy. At this point, it was only a body lying on the bed. He also stopped walking and returned to the layers. About two weeks later, they realized that he had an overdose of chemo and an allergic reaction to one. His body was fighting harder than expected. "

After spending 60 days at the hospital, Jackson was discharged in July 2017.

"When he came out, he was so young that he did not know how to act anymore," Caserma said. "At first, he was getting a lot of chemo and his body was deteriorating a lot. His liver fought against what we were doing. "

But things started to turn around and Jackson started acting like a four year old again. He started going back to kindergarten in October.

Jackson started his maintenance treatment at that time. It was also when Caserma's husband separated from her.

"It's always difficult," she said. "But, I am blessed with parents who are available and have the means to help me."

While Jackson's father lives in Baytown, he goes to the Houston school.

"He's 5 years old now and he's doing well," Caserma said.

However, the cancer also hit Jackson's grandmother, who has cancer of the mantle lymphoma.

"She's fighting along," Caserma said.

During her fight with her son, Caserma said that she had learned a lot about fighting cancer in children.

"I learned from Jackson to feel better," she said. "I work and look for signs of motivation and think about children, all. We are like a family.

Jackson is expected to end his treatment in June 2020.

Crystal: I knew it was a cancer

Bradley, the son of Crystal Blevins, had only a year and a half of liver cancer diagnosis of hepatoblastoma.

"It's a very rare cancer to have," said Blevins. "He went in two weeks before being diagnosed for his shots and everything was fine. Then I started to notice that he was tired and was getting tired. Overnight, his stomach was literally the size of a basketball. "

Blevins has scheduled an appointment with the doctor.

"They said he had to go to Texas Children's right now," she said. "I called Daddy and I said we were in the emergency room. I was panicking at this point. In my heart and in my mind, I knew that it was a cancer. Mentally, I had to prepare to say daddy and grandparents. It took me two hours to pull myself together and everything was spinning, and I was like no, no. I was completely incredulous that my little baby had cancer.

Bradley fought the disease with courage. He died on December 14, 2017. He was 2 years and 2 months old.

Blevins is now helping to honor Bradley and helping other children with cancer by providing blankets for the children of children at Texas Children's Hospital in Christmastime.

People give him money, help to make the blankets and even deposit them for her.

"My goal was 500 and we almost achieved that goal," she said. "Now I have two closets full of blankets."

Blevins has two other children Wesley is Bradley's twin and Bryson is the eldest at 4 years old.

While she was at the hospital to look after Bradley, she met another mother, Marissa Hammett, who had a child with cancer. His son, Ashton, had the same type of cancer as Bradley. They have connected and now, Blevins is raising money for Ashton and his family, who have to travel to and from Mississippi to care for him.

"Even until now, I tell her mother, I would not know the questions to ask. As a cancer community, we become like a family, the advocates of everyone, "she said.

Although Ashton reached a point where he was cancer free, he relapsed. Blevins is now trying to raise money for his family via a GoFundMe site at https://www.gofundme.com/teamashton.

"Ashton's father is the sole supplier," said Blevins. "Their house is about to exclude and the travel bills between Mississippi and here are adding up. I do not want to see them struggle. It's a burden.

The Blevins said that if you want to fight cancer, do it with everything you have in your power.

"Cancer is not good," Blevins said. "It's an illness that took my son's life. So, I talked about child cancer only because I was that mom who had no idea.