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Jonathan Wyatt 
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Here is an article from the Friends of Allie newsletter that came out last October. Tracey does a great job of telling Wyatt's story!
His chubby cheeks and smiling blue eyes may remind us of another
shining star, but make no mistake, Jonathan Wyatt
Collins is one of a kind. Born at just 28 weeks gestation and
weighing a mere 2 pounds, 11 ounces, Wyatt nevertheless
greeted the world screaming on August 5, 2004. Despite his
premature arrival, the tiny baby didn’t need a ventilator to help
him breathe; Jon and Cathy decided that Wyatt, meaning “little
warrior”, would be an appropriate name for their tough young
son. The name took on a prophetic meaning when Wyatt, who
had already been through so much, was diagnosed with acute
myeloid leukemia (AML) that November. Wyatt, our little warrior
who has overcome so many hurdles with his sweet smile
intact, is this month’s Friends of Allie shining star.
Initially, doctors believed that Wyatt had a severe milk protein
allergy. After sustained vomiting and blood in his stools, a CBC
showed that Wyatt had low iron levels and an extremely low
white blood cell count. He received two blood transfusions,
and was sent home from the hospital with a follow up appointment
scheduled for a few weeks later.
Wyatt’s troublesome symptoms continued, however. Cathy
and a few others noticed blue spots rapidly appearing on
Wyatt’s young ybody. Unconcerned, both his pediatrician and
a surgeon (consulted for Wyatt’s hydroceles and umbilical hernia)
assured his worried mother that the spots were merely
hemangiomas, and told Cathy not to worry.
As premature Wyatt continued to grow, he gained weight, but
Cathy noticed that his cheeks in particular got chubby. Beyond
the usual cute baby fat, she observed that his cheeks seemed
distended, his ear distorted, and that there seemed to be
masses detectable near his jaw. His pediatrician was alarmed,
and on November 15th, Wyatt was admitted back in Mary
Bridge Children’s Hospital, and the testing began to determine
the cause of what they now know were tumors. The day before
Thanksgiving 2004, Wyatt, at the adjusted birth age of just
a few weeks old, began chemotherapy for leukemia.
Friends of Allie
Shining Star
Wyatt Collins
Chemotherapy hit the vulnerable infant hard, and his first
round left him with mucositis and pneumosistis. His second
round at the end of December did not go much better, landing
him in the ICU for a stomach infection and E.coli in his trachea.
The 28 weeker who did not need a ventilator at birth now required
one, as well as several antibiotics to clear up the infections
caused by the poison infiltrating his system. Cathy, exhausted
and struggling with the medical problems of her young
son, while worrying about her 2 year old daughter Karissa at
home, began Wyatt’s Caringbridge web page
(www.caringbridge.org/wa/wyatt) to update friends and family,
and hopefully receive support from the internet community.
Dr. Irwin, Wyatt’s oncologist, as well as other specialists explained
to Cathy that the treatment protocol for AML, while
toxic for anyone (child or adult), would be particularly
treacherous for Wyatt because of his prematurity. For example,
at the end of January, it was discovered that Wyatt suffered a
fractured rib from a standard treatment of thumping lightly on
his chest to loosen the mucous in his lungs. Wyatt also needed
help from a pulmonary specialist, as his premature lungs really
struggled with the chemotherapy drugs and steroids.
Wyatt, and his Mom, Cathy.
continued to page 4 Friends of Allie, Shining Star, continued from page 3
On January 30th, the family received the joyous news from Dr.
Irwin that Wyatt had entered remission. While the news was
certainly a major stepping stone, the family braced themselves
for more rounds of chemotherapy and procedures, beginning
the very next day. Sedation posed particular challenges for
Wyatt, as his oxygen levels tended to drop precipitously, twice
causing him to turn blue and require resuscitation. Even
something as seemingly mundane as diaper rash, an inconvenience
for healthy babies, took on epic proportions for Wyatt.
In February, Cathy wrote, “Wyatt has a HORRIBLE diaper
rash. We have to gently clean the area and then let a hairdryer
blow on that area for a while. Then we lather on zinc oxide
and the famous Dr. Abdullah's Butt Paste. His oncologist even
prescribed a morphine drip to use before diapering Wyatt”. It
seems hard to believe that morphine would be required for a
diaper rash, but that exemplifies the fragility of his body during
this process.
While Wyatt fought to stay alive, his family, most notably his
mother Cathy, fought to stay strong and sane for her family.
She vents in her journal, “I personally am at a breaking point. I
want our life to return to normal so much it hurts. I have become
an emotional wreck and need sleep! I want to burn one
of those chairs that they call a bed. You feel like the walls are
closing in on you. I wanted to leave last night and go crawl
into my cozy bed but I knew Wyatt needed his mommy”. Besides
worrying about Wyatt, Cathy desperately missed her
daughter while she lived in the hospital with her sick son.
“One of the hardest parts of going back to the hospital is having
to once again leave Karissa. I have tried to somewhat distance
myself from her emotionally, but after a week with her
again I don't know how I can handle it! She is such a wonderful
little girl, and she is growing up without her mommy!”
On April 24th, the family celebrated as Wyatt finished his last
round of chemotherapy, having remained in remission. Finally
they could return home and stay home as a family. Poor
Wyatt wasn’t quite done with hospitals yet, however.
Wyatt, born at 28 weeks gestation
On May 8, Wyatt was back again in the ICU with a fever of
105. The doctors diagnosed him with early stage pneumonia,
but thankfully caught it early and were able to release him, for
good, on May 17th. Cathy writes, “I can't believe it. We did it! I
feel like singing the Dora song. (if you have young kids you
know what I'm talking about!) Wyatt is home. Home for good.
No more middle of the night blood pressures. No more constant
poking and prodding. No more blood transfusions, serious
infections, visits from the infectious disease doctor, no
more!!! Just love! Love from mommy, daddy, sister, grandparents,
and friends! Lots of love, more than one little boy can
handle! Wyatt, you are amazing. Simply amazing! I cannot believe
what you have been through. From the minute you were
born, you have not had it easy…Your road has been a bumpy
one, but you have continued to pull through with an incredible
amount of strength. I know God has blessed you with your
own personal set of angels! (And I'm sure they are cute, just like
you!) Wyatt, you are special. Your mommy and daddy know
that, God knows that, and everyone that knows you can't help
but fall in love with you. You have a wonderful life ahead of
you, and I am so excited to see what you will become, because
in my book you already couldn't make me more proud than I
am today. I love you Wyatt!”
Wyatt has continued to do well and thrive. Slowly, as each
month goes by, the nightmare of his initial months fades as he
meets developmental milestones and life returns to normal.
Wyatt celebrated a birthday, is beginning to crawl and can pull
himself to standing, and has a few teeth. Karissa now says,
“brother’s not sick anymore”. When asked for an update, Cathy
says, “Today, Wyatt is doing so well, and we love to watch the
progress he is making developmentally, socially, and physically.
We are blessed by every day we have with him, and will
never again take life for granted. We believe strongly in medical
research, and are thankful to organizations like The Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society, because without them we may not
have our little boy today. And most of all, we believe so
strongly in prayer, and know in our hearts that everyone lifting
Wyatt up in prayer to the Lord made a difference. Thank you
so much!”
Written by Tracey Robinson, with grateful assistance from
Cathy Collins
Journal
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 10:37 PM CST 
We had a wonderful Christmas. Wyatt received a Radio Flyer spring horse from Santa and it is great! Since he is a sensory seeker, it helps him along with the fact it is fun!
Wyatt was diagnsoed with classic Autism in August. The psychologist wants him to come back next summer because she has some doubt due to his extensive medical history. I ended up changing school districts so Wyatt could go to a school which has more appropriate services, and oh my! He has come leaps and bounds over the past few months. He is talking! It is mostly one word at a time, although he says things like, "where go?" and makes the gesture with his hands, and will combine two words on occassion. Wyatt knows his shapes and colors and will speak the words too. He can count although I don't believe he really knows the concept yet. We have been working on that concept for some time. It is bizarre when your child can point out ocogon but doesn't understand simple questions. Wyatt is very social with people, and still has a smile that melts your heart. However, he gets a blank stare when you try to converse with him about most things. He is around two to two and a half development wise, with some cognitive skills around his age range, which is great! I was very concerned for a while that intense chemo on a preemie really did damage to his brain. Now when people say he is smart, it almost makes me laugh and cry at the same time. I feel sad that I had a lack of faith in my son, but I have always had a burning desire to help him in any way I could.
Wyatt is so precious to us. He loves to hug his sister- that is when he isn't pushing, pinching, or hitting her. :0) hehe He loves his daddy so much, and usually will pick him over me to play with. However, I am his first pick for routine tasks and when he is tired. Noone else dare push him in the shopping cart or even attempt to push him in his stroller! I am so excited for him and his potential. I try to convince myself he doesn't have autism, and then I get around kids his age or even younger and the difference is obvious. I truly believe he is going to come out of all this stronger than ever. Wyatt is amazing. :0)
As for dear Karissa, aka Miss SassyPants, Miss Hollywood, or Angelina Ballerina as she calls herself, she is doing great. She is so smart. I know I am partial since I am her mommy, but she impreses me every day with her knowledge. She is full of life, and I love that about her. I think she might become a lawyer some day, because she is one strong willed young lady. Karissa loves gymnastics and loves to dance. Any Hollywood agents may contact me. :0) lol
Jon is doing prety well. He lost his mom in April of this year after her fight with lung cancer. He misses her so much, and our holidays had a sense of saddness to them. We all miss her.
As for me, life is going prety smoothly right now. I am so blessed o have TWO healthy children, a husband that loves us, and a roof over our heads.
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!
Cathy
P.S. If anyone knows of someone in Washington state that can do ABA therapy at a reduced rate, please have them contact me. Washington state is not a great place for Autism services. Actually, we have great services, they just aren't covered! (And who has an extra $5000 a month?)
Read Journal History
Hospital Information: Mary Bridge Children's Hospital
Links: http://www.active.com/donate/ltnWA-AK/1758_daisyandme Donate to our Team! :0)
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