Lying under the covers in a hospital bed watching movies on a roll-in VCR and television, his mouth muffled by a mask with cords leading to an oxygen tank, Conor Killen, sophomore, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at age 5.
ALL is a cancer of the white blood cells and bone marrow. It is the most common type of cancer in children.
“I remember feeling really, really sick for a longtime,” Conor said. “[My parents] took me to go for a checkup, and it turned out that it was something more serious. I didn’t understand how big of a deal [cancer] was.”
Conor did not remember much about the experience, but his mother Kristin Daly did. As an Oncology nurse she knows how traumatic it can be to hear the word cancer.
“[It was] devastating. [I went] from helping him color to worrying if we’ll celebrate his next birthday,” Kristin said.
Conor went through two and a half years of chemotherapy at Mercy Hospital (St. John’s) in St. Louis.
“[I remember] they shaved my hair before I lost it,” Conor said. “The staff [at Mercy] tried to keep my mind off of it and let me be a kid.”
After chemotherapy, Conor remembers being really hungry, a common side effect.
“At the end of every treatment, I would want a Hostess cupcake and pepperoni pizza from the hospital cafeteria, ” Conor said. “Once I ate a whole rotisserie chicken.”
While Conor battled the disease, he attended Camp Rainbow, a sleepaway camp for children undergoing treatment, and survivors of cancer and other blood-related diseases and disorders. Conor first attended the camp in 2002 when he was 6.
“A lot of the people who are counselors are survivors. They come back because they have a one- on-one camper to counselor ratio,” Kristin said. “It’s really a wonderful experience for them.”
“I hope to become a counselor there this summer, now that I am eligible,” Conor said. Applicants must be 16-years-old to apply.
Conor has been in remission for seven years now and runs hurdles for track. He wants to continue to give back and help other kids suffering from ALL.
“You learn to appreciate your children while you have them, and appreciate what they can do be- cause that can change in the blink of an eye,” Kristin said. “Not just cancer, but any serious childhood illness gives you a little bit of perspective. Everyday with my children is a gift, even if sometimes I want to give it back.”
