AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF) – The 5-year-old son of Lt. Joe O’Conor with the Aiken Division of Public Security is battling most cancers, and the household is asking for assist from the neighborhood.
Joey O’Conor’s signs began with fatigue.
“Everyone in our home had been sick a couple of month earlier than the analysis, so we simply assumed it was taking him a bit of bit longer to recover from that,” Joe O’Conor stated.
Then summer season camp rolled round in June, every week after Joey’s birthday.
“They have been on the pool and he began to love fall down and was not performing regular, was in an altered psychological standing mainly,” O’Conor stated. “Once I acquired there he knew who I used to be, he knew his identify and all, however he was laying on the bottom and barely speaking.”
Joey was rushed to the hospital and was later was identified with leukemia.
“B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and he couldn’t fairly wrap his head round what was occurring,” O’Conor stated. “We tried to clarify it to him a number of occasions, your blood is sick, and tried to make him perceive what was occurring. However, for a five-year-old, that’s simply actually arduous to grasp.”
After a close to 4-week keep on the Youngsters’s Hospital of Georgia, Joey is again residence, however nonetheless has to endure remedy for as much as three years.
“We all know its a two-and-a-half to a few yr remedy cycle, however we gained’t know the finer particulars till the tip of this cycle the place we all know what his counts are in his bone marrow on the finish of this month,” O’Conor stated.
Since his white blood cell rely is so low, he’s not allowed any guests presently.
He additionally gained’t be capable to begin kindergarten in-person this yr, however his faculty has a manner for him to work together with the opposite youngsters.
“They’re gonna do mainly Zoom kindergarten, in order that he’ll get to take part with some youngsters his age,” O’Conor stated. “Though it’ll be by means of a digital camera, no less than that’ll be useful to him as a result of I believe that’s one among our greatest fears is for a five-year-old to not be capable to work together with different youngsters for six to 9 months.”
Neighborhood members, buddies, household, coworkers and employees at ADPS have pitched in to make the journey as clean as doable.
“They got here in and reworked Joey’s room and put in hardwood flooring in his room so it’d be simpler for us to wash,” O’Conor stated. “They’ve despatched him I don’t even know what number of present baskets and stuffed animals and all the pieces else. It’s been probably the most humbling expertise of my life simply to see everyone come collectively for that little man.”
However, the medical payments are including up and the household began a GoFundMe for assist.
“We don’t wish to ask for assist, particularly when there’s so many individuals in our neighborhood that need assistance. However, that being stated, we additionally weren’t anticipating to have this analysis,” O’Conor stated. “If there’s something left over, our plan is to only donate that cash to a different youngster with an analogous analysis to Joey or to leukemia analysis.”
Joey can have some extra blood assessments on Friday. Click on right here to donate to his GoFundMe.
