Isla's light

There is simply no stopping little Isla Bear.

This past summer, Mom noticed an odd-looking rash on Isla’s legs, arms and chest. Not red or pink, but rather tiny little purple spots. She took Isla to her pediatrician, who sent her to Children’s Wisconsin for blood work. Later that night, they receiving the startling results — Isla had cancer.

The next day in our MACC Fund Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, she was officially diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a common type of blood cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal white blood cells. She’ll need five rounds of chemotherapy, each requiring a month-long hospital stay with a few weeks at home in-between. She’s currently on her third round. But through it all, her spirit, her smile, her heart has never wavered. In fact, Isla recently celebrated her third birthday at home and instead of having a party with friends and family, Isla wanted to celebrate with her nurses at Children’s Wisconsin.

Mom said, “Her attitude has been wonderfully positive throughout the course of treatment. We credit this, in part, to the incredible staff at Children’s Wisconsin. They give her so much positive attention and have really developed special relationships with her. She adores the staff who have really made this an overall fun experience for her despite the circumstances.”

Evan Solochek Writer Children's Wisconsin

The MACC Fund Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders is a leader in treating the most common to the most complex cancer and blood disorders and is named among the best in the U.S. News & World Reports’ annual Best Children’s Hospital report. The center offers a comprehensive array of clinical trials for patients with new diagnoses, relapses, refractory and rare diseases, and late effects of cancer treatment.