Eleven-year-old MaKayla received donor stem cells from her sister after being diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia.
By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org
MaKayla Lovely is so ready to bust out of “prison.”
That’s what she jokingly calls the four walls that contain her at Riley Hospital for Children, where she has been inpatient for more than 100 days.
She was hoping to be discharged to the Ronald McDonald House on Day 100, which would have been last Friday, but her departure was pushed back to this week, according to her mom, Jade Lovely.
MaKayla, who celebrated her 11th birthday last month in the hospital (on top of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day), is recovering from a stem cell transplant to treat severe aplastic anemia, a rare, serious blood disorder where bone marrow fails to produce enough new blood cells.
Her little sister was her stem cell donor, a 100% match.
There was a time when her mom wasn’t sure MaKayla would make it to transplant.
“She had a less than 20% chance of survival,” Jade said, after her daughter had a series of infections and a ruptured appendix.
But she has come out the other side stronger and sassier.
“She’s so strong, she is a survivor,” Jade said.
Indeed, a sign above her bed made by MaKayla’s aunt pronounces her a “Tough Cookie.”
Child life specialist Morgan Watson has seen that toughness up close.
“MaKayla is one of the most resilient kids I know. It's really been an honor to walk alongside her and her family these past few months and watch her personality and spunkiness shine through,” Watson said.
Watson has walked alongside MaKayla literally on her way to multiple surgeries during her time at Riley, helping to ease her anxiety.
Once she gets to the operating room, Watson said MaKayla loves to think of the silliest songs and ask her surgeon to sing and dance before the anesthesia takes effect.
“MaKayla is one of those kids that remind me why I chose to be a child life specialist. She has gone through unimaginable things and has come out the other side of it.”
Along the way, Watson has tried to keep MaKayla engaged with crafts, games and activities.
Her favorite memory of them together was during the recent heavy snow that fell in Indianapolis.
“We realized she hadn’t been able to touch or play in the snow since she was admitted, so I grabbed a giant bucket of snow from outside and brought it in for her,” Watson said. “The look on her face was amazing.”
Jade, who has not left her daughter’s side since MaKayla was admitted to Riley last fall, is grateful for her family at home in northern Indiana – husband Bryan and two more kids – as well as the Riley team members who have been so important not only in MaKayla’s healing but in Jade’s emotional journey as well.
“Although it feels like it’s been so long, I really am going to miss the team,” she said. “They really have been there through a lot of scary moments, helping us get through it.”
MaKayla, who said she is most looking forward to seeing her two dogs when she gets home, received a camera for her birthday and is putting together a photo/autograph book of her Riley team so she can remember them when she gets the green light to go home.
Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org
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