It was during a family vacation to Splash Harbor on New Years that Robert and Kristin Edens began to notice the strange behavior in their four year old daughter, Alexes. It started with Alexes, or Lexi, being tired rather than her normal energetic self. At first Robert and Kristin assumed their daughter had for once tired herself out, but the following day, changes in Alexes' breathing made it obvious something else was very wrong. It took only a few weeks for doctors to find out what was going on with the Edens' daughter, Ewings Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer that affects mainly children and adults.
Treatment followed shortly after the diagnosis and would continue for 287 days at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Kristin Edens shuttled her two daughters, Lexi and Sissy, to and from Columbus, sometimes twice a week, forgoing sleep and often on the edge of breaking down. "There were so many times I would think to myself; 'I can't do this, how can I do this week after week?' But when you're a parent, those thoughts disappear quickly, it wasn't about me or Robert, it was about the health of our daughter."
Many things in the Edens' life changed after Lexi's diagnosis. One was the constant fear of germs. Hand sanitizer became an important item in their lives. Kristin and Robert made sure to always have a bottle nearby. Due to the treatments, Lexi's immune system was extremely weak, and even something as simple as a cold could cause life threatening complications to her health. No longer were playmates allowed over, and any visitor to the home had to make sure to remove their shoes and clean their hands. The constant threat of germs was a difficult problem to tackle, especially for parents raising two young children. Another thing that was new in the lives of Robert and Kristin was being prepared to make the hour long trip to Columbus at a moments notice. Both Robert and Kristin kept pre-packed over night bags stashed close by in case an emergency arose.
Despite the constant stress and medical treatments, it would seem Lexi was the least affected. Throughout her treatment she remained the same happy and energetic child she had always been. "If it wasn't for the lack of hair you would never notice she was in a battle with cancer." Robert commented. Even while staying at Children's Hospital, Lexi's outgoing self did not change, she made friends with some of the other children in the ward, and even after being declared cancer free, remained friends.
On October 16, 2015, after 287 days of treatment now five-year-old Alexes Edens rang the bell at children's hospital, signifying that after nearly a year long battle Lexi was finally cancer free. Though she is declared free of Ewings Sarcoma, the long road to recover is still not over. Doctors informed Robert and Kristin that they will continue with regular checkups to make sure there are no further complications, a return of cancer following treatment would be a serious situation. But for now the family can rest easy and try to pick-up where they left off, with their brave daughter who spent most of her fourth year of life fighting a battle that takes more bravery and heart than most would ever care to know.