Child Life Care Supports Young Leukemia Patient
In December of 2020, while Kennedy Shallal was playing at the park, her father noticed that she looked tired. This was unusual for the typically silly, happy-go-lucky four-year-old who danced everywhere she went, making up her own songs. When her grandfather noticed a few strange bruises and she suffered from a nosebleed that wouldn’t go away, Kennedy’s parents started to worry. They took her to her doctor, who referred them to Corewell Health Children’s. After a blood test, Kennedy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
“It was pretty devastating, and it all happened very, very quickly,” said Kennedy’s mother, Cristina. “We were in the hospital that night. It was something my brain couldn’t really comprehend.”
The ensuing chemotherapy, doctor visits and hospital stays were exhausting for Kennedy. On top of the stresses that typically accompany cancer treatment, COVID restrictions severely limited the activities Kennedy and her family could enjoy between appointments. But Kennedy’s care teams at the Skandalaris Family Center for Children with Cancer and Blood Disorders and the Proton Therapy Center provided her with the comfort and reassurance she needed.
“The nurses, doctors and staff were all so helpful and sweet,” Crisina said. “They did everything they could to make Kennedy smile.”
When it came to making Kennedy smile, few were more successful than Olive and Millie – therapy dogs who joined Kennedy for most of her visits. According to Cristina, Kennedy’s reaction to the brother-and-sister golden retrievers was one of “immediate happiness.” During every visit, Kennedy would give the dogs hugs, paw strokes and belly rubs. In return, Olive and Millie helped Kennedy through years of treatment, which often involved full days of chemotherapy or blood/plasma transfusions. Nearly every visit ended with Kennedy cuddling the dogs on the floor as she played with her tablet.
“The therapy dogs were such a huge help in making Kennedy’s treatment more enjoyable for her,” said Cristina. “It was so hard to see her get so upset with every finger poke. But having the therapy dogs there often calmed her down so much that she wouldn’t cry at all.”
Kennedy’s twin sister Regan had heard so much about Olive and Millie that once COVID restrictions were finally relaxed, she insisted that she come along so she could spend time with the dogs as well.
Thanks to the extraordinary care she received at the Skandalaris Family Center and the Proton Therapy Center, Kennedy has been in full remission since April of 2023. According to her parents, she is back to her goofy and energetic self. She and her sister have big plans for the future, inspired by the time she spent with Olive and Millie.
“Kennedy and Regan have already talked about owning an animal shelter and becoming veterinarians,” said Cristina. “In fact, they are planning to raise their own therapy dogs so they can make other kids smile, too.”
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