Meet All-Star Aamir

“People come into your life for a reason, it was another weight lifted. It happened right at the perfect time. It was such a blessing.” -All-Star Aamir’s mom Lethecia on what it meant to receive assistance from Pinky Swear Foundation.

It’s just the two of them; Aamir and his mom Lethecia. She had just started a new job after 16 years with the same company. 

“It was a promotion, and I was excited to work for a more family-orientated organization,” Lethecia said. “My job lasted only two weeks though because right after that, Aamir was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and I knew right away that it would be impossible to work.”

Lethecia and Aamir loved being adventurous together exploring different places. Aamir loved his soccer team and playing with friends in the neighborhood. Then in just a few weeks, everything changed.

When Aamir started complaining of chest pains his doctor gave him an inhaler. Next, he received over-the-counter medicine for a fever. Then doctors ran his bloodwork, but nothing unusual was found. He went to a bowling party with his soccer team and when he got home, Lethecia noticed lumps on his neck, jawline, and cheeks.

“At that point, we went to the hospital. In my mind I knew it might be cancer,” she said. After running more tests, Lethecia was right. Aamir had leukemia.

She said by the time she returned to his room he had already been told he had cancer, and he asked, “Am I dying?”

He was flown by helicopter to another hospital. Lethecia wasn’t allowed to fly with him so she drove the one-hour drive as fast as she could.

“I was throwing a fit. I was driving fast and it was about midnight,” she said. “I wanted to be there when he arrived.”

They hadn’t even had time to pack a bag for their first hospital stay, which ended up being a week and a half. Lethecia said she felt a lot of uncertainty: What would be the plan? What is the survival rate? 

“I felt a lot of guilt,” she said. “How did he get this? Is it hereditary? Aamir didn’t want to know anything about it … and never asked why this had happened to him.”

Lethecia said her son screamed in agony when they inserted the PIC line in his chest without it being numbed. The leukemia had caused his heart rate to be too high for anesthesia. He had a big tumor on his chest, and he was so exhausted, he could barely walk to the bathroom.

Lethecia knew immediately that it would be impossible to work. She saw his treatment roadmap and knew she needed to be with him. Work was sympathetic, she said, and sent care packages. They still do, although she had only been working there two weeks. 

"I had just bought a new car, which was good because of all the driving back and forth (to the hospital,) but it was an extra cost,” Lethecia said.  “The social worker gave us a gift card for the cafeteria food which helped, and others gave us gift cards, but I was spending a lot more than was coming in.”

At first, they had insurance from her former company, but it soon ended, and the bills began to pile up. Lethecia applied for a Medicaid plan and because of this, their treatment plan also changed. Aamir had started his treatment every day at his local hospital. Now, they had to drive one hour to the hospital where Aamir had been diagnosed since it accepted Medicaid. The worst times came when he got a blood infection, and they had to stay in the hospital for over a month. The infections were constant, and his team thought he may have a lung infection. He was on a lot of pain medicines which then caused severe constipation.

 “I was angry and irritated, he had lost over 20 pounds,” Lethecia said. “He was on a feeding tube but when he got the medications for his constipation, he had to stop eating for three days until his system was flushed out. Watching him not being able to eat, losing all his strength, and wearing a fall risk band on his ankle were the longest nine days of my life. I felt alone; nobody could relate, not even my family.”

Lethecia and Aamir became even closer, and she was able to make friends with other women whose children had cancer. That helped a lot, she said.

Lethecia remembers receiving the Orange Envelope,  a program that provides timely assistance, including a $200 gift card, heartfelt letters of encouragement, from the Pinky Swear Foundation.

“People come into your life for a reason, it was another weight lifted, and I will always be grateful,” she said. “I used it to buy him clothes because of the weight he had lost and for gas to get to the hospital.”

Lethecia remembers applying for financial assistance and receiving help to pay her mortgage.

"The support received through Pinky Swear alleviated stress and lifted a weight off my shoulders. With this blessing, I was assured that we are not alone in this fight and I was able to focus on my son, his health, and happiness," Lethecia said.

Aamir missed a lot of school and still has 18 months of treatment left, but this fall he has been able to return to classes. He can’t do sports because of his chest port, but hopes to play soccer or basketball again someday to build up his strength. 

Lethecia shared this message with Pinky Swear and all those who helped her and Aamir: “I want to thank your donors for all that you have done for us. You can never be prepared for something like this, and you have helped a lot.”