Local Chapter // Charlotte // Boy & Girl of the Year

Boy & Girl of the Year

Charlotte's Boy & Girl of the Year

The Boy & Girl of the Year are local children battling blood cancers who serve as motivation and inspiration to Man & Woman of the Year candidates in their competition to raise funds and win the titles.

Boy of the Year

Michael Price

Michael came down with a cold and fever in mid January. His left tonsil was very large so the next day we went to the pediatrician. His doctor was concerned about the size and started him on powerful antibiotics and ordered some blood work. Everything came back clear so we went home with the antibiotics and instructions on what to look for in case of a peritonsillarabscess which would require surgery. His fever went away about 3 days later; however his tonsil seemed to get larger. We took a recommended ride to the ER since the tonsil was taking up half of his airway. Three different doctors examined Michael and assured us that the swelling should go down in a few days.

Michael was feeling better so he went back to school the following week. Two weeks after we initially visited his pediatrician, I checked again and his tonsil had not decreased in size. I called his doctor again to set an appointment for the following day with the ENT. After the doctor examined Michael's throat, he told us that he sees this sometimes in cases of Lymphoma. I was petrified. He ordered a CT of his neck for the same day. After the scan was complete, I grabbed the CD of the scan and raced back to the doctor's office to have him read the scan. The radiologist report said that it didn't appear to be a tumor, but instead looked like a chronic abscess or infection. We were so relieved. The doctor said that since his tonsil was so big, we needed to schedule surgery to get his tonsils and adenoids removed. We scheduled this surgery for the following Monday, Feb 7th.

Michael's surgery went well. The doctor sent the tonsils and "abscess" to pathology. After few days, the doctor called me to tell me that my beautiful son has cancer. Words can not describe my feeling at that moment. Within an hour, Michael's Oncologist had called us and told us to get packed and head straight to the hospital. We arrived that night and that is where our journey began.

The next several days consisted of test after test, starting with blood work and a CT of his neck, chest, abdomen and groin. The doctor said that Michael's blood work looked terrific and his CT was clear below the neck. With this wonderful information, he said that he was hopeful that the cancer was localized to the tonsilar area and that if this was the case Michael's outcome would be very promising. After several more tests, we learned that the cancer was indeed localized and he was officially diagnosed with Stage 1 Burkitt's Lymphoma.

Michael went into surgery for his port and that evening he began chemotherapy. Michael returned to the doctor each week for more chemo. After 7 weeks of chemo, his therapy was complete. On April 19th, we returned to the doctor for a CT scan. The scan revealed that the cancer was gone. Six months later, Michael is still in remission and each month we go back to our doctor and pray desperately for the same news. Michael's hair is back, he has returned to school and he is enjoying playing with friends and spending time with family.

Girl of the Year

Jordan Jemsek
Jordan is a seven-year-old who loves making new friends, playing with Barbie dolls, and performing original songs for captivated audiences. However, her life changed in the summer of 2009, when she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).

In September 2009, Jordan began her treatment at Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC. She endured months of grueling chemotherapy and treatment, which included multiple bone marrow biopsies and blood transfusions. She was declared to be in remission in April 2010 and was sent home on Easter day, making the holiday very special for her family. That June, the Jemsek family enjoyed a trip to Walt Disney World, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

However, Jordan's time at home and getting to act like a normal kid was cut short once again. She had just returned to kindergarten and loved spending the school day with friends. But upon getting a cold that she just couldn't get rid of, her family began to worry that the AML had returned. Testing done in late November 2010 confirmed just that: Jordan had relapsed with AML.

The fight to save her life continued when Jordan came to Children's National Medical Center to have a bone marrow transplant in March 2011. She spent several months in the in the hospital, enduring some grueling and painful times. However, Jordan has showed signs that her body has accepted the donor cells and she is in remission!

Jordan returned to Charlotte this past July and has loved getting to spend time outdoor and playing with her new puppy, Kirby. She has recently returned to attending school at Sharon Elementary and is very excited to be spending her days with friends. When Jordan was recently asked to say a few words at Children's National Medical Center - Heroes Curing Childhood Cancer Gala, Jordan said to the crowd, "I want to say thank you to all the people who prayed for me and just got me through this." The Jemsek family has great admiration and appreciation for all of the staff at Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital and Children's National Medical Center for their care and support of Jordan and the family. We would also like to thank the Charlotte community and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for their continued prayers and support.