Alyssa, 16, went to see a chiropractor when she felt a slight pain in her back. Days later her entire world was turned upside down
What started as a simple backache for a very active 16-year-old girl has turned into a desperate battle for survival against an extremely aggressive blood cancer.
Adelaide Year 10 student Alyssa Hann felt a slight pain in her back in late September.
A visit to the chiropractor provided some relief, but the pain persisted and became “unbearable.”
“It got to the point where she couldn’t sit still, she was in so much pain,” Alyssa’s mother Kylie Hann said Seven news.
Alyssa Hann was struck by back pain in September that ultimately left her fighting for her life in the emergency room
The family took Alyssa to Flinders Medical Center but due to her deteriorating condition she was flown to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide.
Tests revealed a low platelet count in Alyssa’s blood, but all other scans were normal and she was released.
Later that evening, however, the pain returned severely.
“My child was in excruciating pain for 15 hours and no matter what pain relief they gave her, it didn’t affect her,” Ms Hann said.
Alyssa had difficulty breathing when she was admitted to the intensive care unit and intubated under general anesthesia.
This time, tests revealed she had a rare blood disease known as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and acute myeloid leukemia.
The 16-year-old, who worked part-time at a winery and was just learning to drive, will now need two cycles of chemotherapy.
The avid Aussie Rules player, whose A-grade team played in the grand final, will be hospitalized for the next month, meaning she will be unable to attend school and had to cancel a trip to Australia she had planned with her sister .
Alyssa with her parents Kylie and Scott Hann at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide
“Even going to the toilet, walking to the toilet… is a huge task,” Ms Hann said.
“(She went) from running and playing (A-grade football) … to now getting out of bed and it’s exciting that she can walk to the toilet, which is 10 steps away.”
The family has been told they must travel to Sydney for a bone marrow transplant.
Mrs. Hann says her daughter sometimes has trouble hearing the bad news and has to leave the room when the doctors deliver it.
“She’s a kid with a huge heart,” Mrs. Hann said.
“She said to me, ‘As long as you and Dad are okay, I’m okay.’
Alyssa’s aunt Mel Keighran has started one GoFundMe page to help the family pay for treatment.
“To say the news has shocked and devastated everyone who knows Alyssa and her family is an understatement,” Keighran wrote.
The 16-year-old will have to undergo two cycles of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant
“Kylie and Scott have dropped everything to support Alyssa and spend so much time fighting this battle… they are currently not working as time with their precious daughter is their main priority.
‘I’m creating this page to raise money to hopefully ease their burden in some small way. The money raised will help them with their daily living expenses, bills, mortgage repayments and travel expenses.”
By Sunday evening, more than $7,000 of the $20,000 had been raised.
Doctors still don’t know why Alyssa had back pain, but think the cancer may have affected her spine.
Kathryn Huntley, chief executive of healthcare at the Leukemia Foundation, said blood cancers can be difficult to detect.
“For many people there is increased fatigue, real fatigue, night sweats, bone pain, unexpected weight loss, bruising and enlarged lymph nodes,” Ms Huntley said.
‘Anyone who experiences such complaints should actually have that conversation with their GP.’
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the survival rate for children under 14 diagnosed with leukemia is approximately 90 percent.