2004 Year in Review

McIlrath's home from St. Jude Hospital

Karissa, Heather with Alethea and Ian in front of the Emmanuel Reformed Church.

Jeff, Heather and Alethea McIlrath left Memphis, TN on Thursday, June 17 after spending the last five and one half months there at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Alethea has been courageously battling leukemia.

After what the McIlrath’s thought was a fairly harmless doctor visit on January 8, 2004, resulted in seeing a specialist in Peoria on January 9 where Alethea was diagnosed with leukemia. The McIlrath’s headed to Memphis on January 11, 2004. There, Alethea was diagnosed with Acute Lyeloid leukemia (AML). She began chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday, January 13.

Alethea has gone through five rounds of intense chemotherapy in the last 5 and one half months.

She still remains on some crucial medications and her blood counts are still recovering from treatments.

A more extensive story will follow at a later date.

by Dawn Zuidema, theCity1.com
June 21, 2004