Getting a fever and not feeling well is not out of the norm for any of us. So when 3-year-old Tripp Poats spiked a fever, his parents thought he was simply fighting off a viral bug.
But then, during his 3-year-old annual well visit, Tripp’s pediatrician noticed Tripp’s skin color was paler and had spotted bruising that seemed to be excessive, even for a toddler.
Blood work was ordered, followed by further testing at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Tripp’s parents explain it as a whirlwind 48 hours that included Tripp getting admitted to the hospital and then the diagnosis, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL B-Cell).
His first night in the hospital included a meeting with the medical team who prepared the family for an array of possible outcomes as Tripp required his first of a handful of blood transfusions. That was followed by plans for port placement surgery and the start of chemotherapy.
Tripp was quickly underway with his treatment path, which was expected to take anywhere from nine months to a year. The first month or so was the hardest, both for Tripp and for his family. He felt bad and the medications, especially the steroids, slowly took their hold and made it very uncomfortable and painful for him to move. The following months were much better and smoother. He gained and lost weight fairly rapidly, but was overall mostly upbeat.
His parents say that Tripp has dealt with a few setbacks, but feel lucky that he spent the bare minimum number of nights in the hospital during his treatment. They even got to go to the beach for a week with the blessing of his doctors!
Looking back on the past year, his parents say much of it seemed to crawl by, constantly waiting on the next appointment or the next phase – or for Tripp’s hair to grow back in – BUT there has also been a sense of the time flying by as they went through treatment with an attempt to hold onto the “up” moments. No family would say the journey is easy or without some serious lows.
“We have been fortunate to be in the first-class care of Carilion and its staff. At the time of diagnosis, we did look around at arguably more prestigious medical centers in the Southeast but clearly made the right decision to stay home with Carilion. We felt that level of comfort and care within the first day or so at admittance. The staff at the clinic has been extremely comforting. From the do-it-all receptionist to the child life specialists, nurses and doctors, everyone makes us feel at home and at ease to the point that Tripp gets excited about a visit to the clinic,” says Tripp’s dad, Wyatt.
The family has tried very hard to keep Tripp’s life and their lives as normal as possible, and it has been critical for all of them to be home in Roanoke.
Tripp began a pre-K program at a nearby school in August 2020 and is thriving.
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