Bexley Schumaker, amid cancer battle, enters Kindergarten on anniversary of diagnosis
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Jenny Schumaker knew today would come. But she admits the journey hasn't been easy.
"The beginning is very hard. No one wants that diagnosis."
Her daughter, Bexley, was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago. A lot was up in the air.
“She’ll take her pills, she swallows them, and then some days she gets up, she throws up, and then goes along her day," said Jenny.
Bexley, too sick to attend preschool, has been hospitalized eight times. She had COVID last November; doctors didn't think she would make it.
Everything has changed since then.
"This entire community just rallied behind us every step of the way," said Kurt Schumaker, Bexley's father.
Bexley's three brothers all attend Chinook Trail Elementary in Colorado Springs, just one block from their home. To say that Bexley was excited to join them would be an understatement.
"It was basically circled on the calendar by Bexley as ‘hey, this is happening,'" said Kurt.
So, on the two-year anniversary of her leukemia diagnosis, Bexley Schumaker finally went to class. Her first day of Kindergarten.
"It was the best feeling ever. Just to know that she is able to go into kindergarten and be a normal 5-year-old," said Jenny. "Now she is what we like to say, ‘thriving, not just surviving.’”
"My hope is that once we get done in November, she puts all this behind her and she becomes a normal kid," added Kurt.
Bexley has chemo every day until November. But her prognosis looks great. She’s now an ambassador for Children’s Hospital Colorado.
If you would like to buy a pink shirt in support of Bexley and other children at Children’s Hospital Colorado-Colorado Springs, you can send a message to Bexley Strong on Facebook.
