Story of Hope - Kyle Slone

When Natalie Slone walked through the front door of her new home in June of 2009, she was feeling good. As a single mom of four kids, she had worked hard to become a homeowner on one income. Her career as a photographer was going well, and she was feeling settled and optimistic.

Then, in October, Natalie's employer informed her through tears that he had to lay her off. She understood, but knew it was going to be tough. She started looking for a new job and relied on her savings and unemployment to pay the bills.

Fast-forward to a day in late December: Natalie's 14-year-old son, Kyle, complained of a mysterious pain. He was uncomfortable, but still managed to spend some time with friends that evening. The next day, he claimed the pain was so bad he couldn't get out of bed. Natalie's intuition told her something was really wrong. She picked him up after work and took him to the hospital, where the journey began.

Two days before Christmas, Kyle - an otherwise healthy, outgoing teenage boy - was diagnosed with cancer. The decision was made to manage the tumor with surgery and avoid chemo or radiation therapy. Natalie says she thought were "good to go." But, nine months later, a follow-up CT scan discovered activity in his lymph nodes as well. A course of chemotherapy was scheduled.

After two months of chemotherapy, the lymph nodes had not shrunk to the size the doctors were hoping for, and it was speculated that a risky surgical procedure might be necessary to remove the affected chemo-resistant nodes. In addition to the risk-factor of the surgery, it was not going to be covered by ARKids, the medical insurance coverage that Kyle had. Natalie had a lot to worry about.

Finally, after almost a year into the battle, the family saw a glimmer of hope. On the third visit to meet with surgeons, scans showed that the nodes in question had decreased in size and were no longer the threat they had been. The decision was made to continue to watch it closely but to cancel the surgery.

Enola Bunton, patient advocate at Hope Cancer Resources, introduced Natalie to our patient assistance programs and began the process of applying for emergency financial assistance. Enola kept in close contact with Natalie throughout the course of Kyle's treatment and recovery, and we were able to offer gas cards for travel as well as help with two mortgage payments. Natalie says "It was fantastic to have her call and check on things." Without the financial assistance we were able to provide, she thinks they would have lost their home.

Today, Kyle is a healthy 16-year-old. He has learned to drive, is growing back the hair he lost to chemotherapy, and making up for a missed semester of high school. He gets monthly CT scans for now, but will celebrate one year post-treatment in November.

And, every day, he gets to walk through the front door of the home his mom worked so hard to provide.

If you or someone you know is undergoing cancer treatments and is having a hard time making ends meet, please contact us for more information on our patient assistance programs at 479-361-5847.