A grandmother has told of her anguish after having to battle cancer at the same time as her baby granddaughter.
Alicia Fivecoat, 62, of Houston, Texas, was devastated when she was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year after discovering a mass the size of a golf ball under her arm.
Just as she began treatment in the New Year, her emotions were dealt another blow when she learned that her granddaughter Whitney, who would soon be turning one, had also been diagnosed with blood cancer.
Over the next few months, Alicia and Whitney suffered together through the brutal side effects of the treatment and chemotherapy, including hair loss and extreme fatigue.
Due to their age difference and different needs, Alicia was treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center, while Whitney was later admitted to Texas Children’s Hospital.
Alice told him Good morning America that the turn of events was “very surreal.”
Little Whitney’s leukemia diagnosis came after her parents, Shelly (Alicia’s daughter) and Tyler McAfee, noticed some swelling and bruising around her eyes.
After she was taken for a checkup, doctors discovered she had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which starts in the bone marrow and quickly passes into the blood.
Alicia Fivecoat, 62, has told of her heartbreak after having to battle cancer at the same time as her granddaughter, Whitney.
The American Cancer Society notes that AML primarily occurs in adults over 45 years of age and the average age of diagnosis is 69 years.
Overall, about 20,800 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with AML each year, and it accounts for about one in three adult leukemias.
Like adults, children are treated with chemotherapy drugs until the bone marrow no longer shows leukemic cells.
During Whitney’s treatment, her parents had to stay with her in the hospital for more than 40 days.
This meant that they had to juggle hospital visits with returning home to care for their four-year-old son.
Fortunately, friends and family helped during the most intense stages of Whitney and Alicia’s treatments.
After several rounds of chemotherapy, Whitney received a bone marrow transplant in June from an anonymous donor.
In August, his mother Shelly revealed on Facebook that the procedure had gone well and the baby was doing very well.
She informed her followers: ‘Life outside the hospital! Whitney turns 56 days after transplant!
Alicia and Whitney have gone through the unfortunate side effects of treatment and chemotherapy together, including hair loss. Pictured before his battle with cancer.
Little Whitney’s leukemia diagnosis came after her parents, Shelly (Alicia’s daughter) and Tyler McAfee, noticed some swelling and bruising around her eyes.
‘We follow up three days a week in clinic for routine blood tests, medication adjustments and transfusions as needed.
“We are grateful for how far we have come and continue to pray for more good days ahead.”
Whitney’s father, Tyler, said watching his daughter fight cancer alongside her mother-in-law was extremely difficult.
He added: “It reminds you how fragile life is and that, obviously, no matter how old you are or what stage of your life you are in, you never know what the next stage will bring.”
Alicia said Whitney’s bravery throughout treatment helped her grow stronger.
The grandmother told GMA, “When I found out that her granddaughter, who was not even a year old at the time, had already done that treatment, I realized, ‘You know what? I can do this.'”
“There were several different instances where I was afraid of what was coming and Shelly was like, ‘Mom, Whitney already did that.’ So I was like, ‘Well, okay, I can do this too, you know?’
In addition to chemotherapy, Alicia underwent a double mastectomy in August as part of her breast cancer treatment.
Now, almost a year after their diagnosis, both Alicia and Whitney are doing well.
Alicia has eight more rounds of chemotherapy treatments left and will be followed by reconstructive breast surgery.
Meanwhile, Whitney, now 19 months old, is undergoing regular checkups after her transplant.
Her specialist doctor at Texas Children’s Hospital, Dr. Erin Doherty, said she had never seen a grandmother and granddaughter undergo chemotherapy at the same time.
Thanks to the quick treatment, she says Whitney should live a “long, healthy life.”