Our Story...

Our story began about 17 years ago when Jason moved to California with his family from Minnesota. We met at church as his dad was the new pastor; I was 16 and he was 14. Looking back now it just seems so unreal that Jason Mikels and I got married...

We started dating in June of 1999...it was wonderful. I won't lie, we had our ups and downs throughout our dating life; but honestly we knew that we were going to get married on day. Jason and I enjoyed being friends for so long before we even dated so to think that we were dating now made us promise not to lose our friendship. I know that's the kind of promise made on t.v. shows, but honestly, we meant it.

After 2 years of dating on July 16, 2001 after a day at the beach, dinner at Duke's in Malibu and back to the beach to watch the sunset Jason asked me to marry him. He gave me a bracelet that was engraved, "Will you marry me?"...then he got on one knee and opened the red box. Oh, my goodness my heart just exploded with joy!

March 15, 2002 was the happiest day of my life up until then...Jason and I were going to be married. As I remember the day was beautiful...everything I had hoped and dreamed.

The second happiest day came on April 12, 2004 when our baby girl Camryn Lee came into our lives. Camryn was the sweetest baby girl ever. Throughout the 9 months of pregnancy Camryn was an angel...we did not find out what we were having, in fact everyone predicted it was a boy, so we were surprised when the doctor said, "It's a girl." A girl...

During the summer of 2005 we thought we'd try again to add to our family...we got pregnant and were so happy. The plan was coming together perfectly, well that is to us. In August we found out that we had lost our baby to miscarriage. My heart broke as I realized I would never get to hold my baby this side of heaven...yet, I know that God's love far surpasses our understanding.

We continued to try for another little one waiting to see what the future held. In February of 2006 we found out that we were expecting our next bundle of joy. I was extremely nervous, not wanting to say anything to anyone after having a miscarriage. We were thrilled and so incredibly happy...

Four days later...

Our world came crashing down. Camryn had started getting sick over the weekend...she was bruising like crazy. Honestly, to this day I can still vividly see her bruised legs and hips...she was also showing signs of a bleeding problem as her gums started bleeding. After a doctor appointment, ER visit, transfer to Cedars - Sinai, our beautiful baby girl Camryn Lee was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. Leukemia keep swirling in my head...leukemia = cancer. My baby girl has cancer. Immediately we began treatment and began the long journey...

All was going really well until June when Camryn relapsed...at that point it was determined that Camryn would need a bone marrow transplant (BMT) as her body was not responding to the chemotherapy. Thus, the search for a donor began. Jason and I were immediately tested...no match. Camryn's blood typing was entered into the database and the search began...

One day as I was waiting for Camryn to come out of the procedure room after one of her numerous bone marrow aspirations her doctor looked at me and said, "The baby, we need to test the baby." The rollercoaster began...we started the process of figuring out how to make that happen. Camryn's window was closing and we really did not know what we could do...we prayed that God would somehow make all the details come together...

After numerous phone calls...numerous prayers...I got a call from my OBGYN's office saying if you are at the hospital by 5:00 today the doctor will do the amnioscientis for free. What? For free?

We waited 6 days after the ammnio and on August 23, 2006 we got the news of a lifetime..."the baby is a perfect match 10 out of 10."

This is the stuff of God...there is no way around it. God provided a provision for Camryn long before we even knew that she needed it and yet...He did.

Now, to get Camryn healthy...she was relapsing so incredibly fast...we had a donor, but that would be a mute point if we could not get her well enough for transplant. Camryn's doctors came into her room one day and said the dreaded words, "this is our last hope." We decided with their guidance to do whatever we could; which meant Camryn would be given arsenic trioxide to battle her APL. For 25 days she had treatment...

On September 14, 2006...a day forever etched in my memory Wyatt Jason came into the world. My doctor was concerned that he would be little as according to due dates he was 2 weeks early...but he was 8 pounds 9 ounces. I will never forget what my doctor said, "This baby isn't early, he is right on time." From that moment on we've cherished the verse "for such a time as this"...Wyatt came into our world at the most momentous time.

We had about a month as a family of four before Camryn went in for transplant...those were some great days and happy days, but also days full of heartache. We did not know if our little girl would ever come home again...it's an interesting thing living knowing that once you say good-bye that it might be the last. Makes you see the world quite differently, when you realize that your child is not your own...that their life is not yours to choose...

October 20, 2006...Camryn's second birthday, her transplant day...God brought healing...God did an amazing work in her body and our lives to bring us to where we are today.

We are changed people...we are parents of a cancer survivor and donor...our lives are forever stamped with the realities of heartache...

Now, two years since transplant Camryn is doing wonderfully...she is beating the odds in every way. Wyatt is two and is absolutely a joy to our hearts. We are learning to live in a new normal...

A normal so incredibly different than many around us...We don't see things as they do...We don't feel things as they do...We are changed...

For the better....