Story Photos
 Kaylynne Reid, right, stands with her family outside their Longview home. Between parents Jennie and Dustin is 2-year-old Boe. Sister Iliey is at lower left and brother Gauge is in the middle. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
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Three girls on Robert Gray soccer team contract serious illnesses
Saturday, August 2, 2008 11:38 PM PDT
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleFirst Megan got sick. Then Kaylynne. And then Hannah. The three young Longview young girls not only all went to Robert Gray Elementary, they played on the same 10-girl soccer team.
And now they have acute lymphotic leukemia (Megan), acute myeloid leukemia (Hannah) and aplastic anemia — sometimes a precursor to leukemia (Kaylynne). All were diagnosed within a year.
Was there a connection? Something all three were exposed to during school or practices? Something that put other children at risk? The families, their friends and a local doctor all wondered.
On the most personal level, of course, the families don't care about possible connections or theories. Drained by the emotional and financial toll of fighting for their daughters' lives, they focus on the immediate. The next doctor's appointment. The next treatment. The next burden their family will be asked to bear.
Other times, though, when they're waiting for test results or taking a break between paying bills or filling out insurance forms, the questions return.
"It wasn't until we found out about Hannah (the last girl diagnosed) that we really thought about it," said Jennie Reid, mother of Kaylenne, 9, and three younger children. "But with everything and just trying to get the kids to bed each night,
I haven't had time to look into it much."
A review by the state Department of Health and Cowlitz County Health Department found no discernible connection between the three cases.
In addition, the area's overall number of cases doesn't support the theory of a cancer cluster, health officials said.
"The number of children diagnosed with leukemia in Cowlitz County is not statistically significantly higher than expected," Lillian Bensley, the state's acting epidemiologist for non-infectious conditions, wrote in May.
But still, the families aren't so sure. Especially given the documented high levels of benzene and other pollutants in the region.
"I can't think about it now, but it is interesting," said Hannah's father, Dan Wicken. "I've had several people ask me about it."
"I don't think it's a coincidence," said Dustin Reid, Kaylynne's father. "The girls just about lived the same life. The same school. The same soccer team."
Lives turned upside-down
When Megan Ardren was diagnosed with acute lymphotic leukemia in April of 2007, "it was like the rug was ripped out from under all of our feet," said Jodi Wygant, who knows all three girls because her husband, Jeff, coached the soccer team.
Kaylynne's diagnosis in late fall of the same year left the team "very concerned," and the news about Hannah in April of 2008 "came as a huge shock," Wygant said.
The school and team has rallied around the families, holding fundraisers and offering support. Wygant also began looking into the coincides of three girls sick on a 10-girl soccer team.
The families, though, spend their time in hospital rooms focused on their daughters or at home frantically trying to keep the rest of their lives running.
Kaylynne Reid received a bone marrow transplant from her younger brother Boe in December. Doctors are still screening her to see if she develops complications or rejects the transplant and don't know yet if she'll get a clean enough bill of health to return to school in the fall.
Hannah Wicken starts her fourth of six chemotherapy treatments Monday at Dornbecker Children's Hospital in Portland. Each session lasts a month. She's doing as good as can be expected, but her mother still worries about Hannah's suppressed immune system, constantly chiding Hannah to wash her hands or taking her temperature.
The Ardren family has moved out of state and could not be reached for comment.
The families must not only worry about their daughters' health, but also conduct a seemingly endless juggling act between spending time at the hospital, tending to the rest of the family and working enough to keep their health insurance current. Both couples said they try to trade off duties and locations, but even keeping that straight can be a challenge.
"We're like two ships passing in the night sometimes," Danni Wicken said of she and husband Dan. "There's a lot of adjustments having to be made."
Their other children, who have missed out on birthday parties and other activities in the past year, often feel left out or resentful.
"Everything is hard," Jennie Reid said, adding all four of her children are acting out lately. "It's hard keeping up with housework. It's hard with the other kids feeling neglected. It's hard on everyone."
It's also expensive.
To date, insurance has paid $202,000 for Kaylynne's care. That doesn't include the bone marrow transplant itself, which was paid for with a Dornbecker research grant after health insurance wouldn't cover it. The family also has numerous out-of-pocket-expenses — the constant drives to and from Portland add up and their power was almost cut off in June — but the Reids haven't had the time or energy to tally them. Dustin Reid works at Simpson Timber and Jennie Reid is a stay-at-home mom.
"A lot of places around here aren't understanding (of the strains or pressures)," said Jennie Reid. "It's just frustrating."
And even relatively minor hiccups in such jam-packed schedules can push parents to their breaking point.
Tuesday, for example, Danni Wicken, an escrow officer with the Chicago Title Insurance Co., had to add a six-hour round-trip drive to her already hectic day when Hannah begged to come home early from a special camp for cancer patients on the Oregon Coast.
"It probably would have happened even if she wasn't sick. She's 9 and has never really been away from home except for sleep overs," she said. "And if she wasn't sick I would have talked to her about commitments and sticking it out. But being that she's sick I didn't want her getting really upset."
How do they handle everything?
They just do, both families said.
"You don't have a choice," Jennie Reid said.
"I don't stop and take time to really digest anything," Danni Wicken said. "Because I just want to stay focused on her treatment and getting her through this."
Cancer cluster?
Three sick girls on the same soccer team and at the same elementary school got health officials' attention — but they say there is no evidence the cases are connected or that there's any sort of cancer cluster.
The news launched an investigation by the state Department of Health and Cowlitz County Health Department. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle also was consulted.
A statistical analysis of the number of leukemia and aplastic anemia cases found that as of now the overall numbers are within normal ranges. That, combined with the fact that three girls have three different illnesses points away from a cancer cluster, said Dr. Megan Guffey, a consultant with the Cowlitz County Health Department. Also, cancer caused by some sort of exposure tends to develop after several years and not as quickly as would be required if the soccer team was the common link, she said.
The health department also checked into possible sources of contamination, including the slough near where the team plays at
Mint Valley Elementary, but found nothing to suggest any increased cancer risk, Guffey said.
In 2006, county officials also studied the number of aplastic anemia cases and a release of benzene from the Emerald Kalama Chemical plant. That more in-depth study also failed to find any linked cases or a scientifically meaningful increase in the number of cases, according to the 2007 final report.
The county does have environmental problems, though. Along with King County, Cowlitz County ranks in the top 1 percent nationally for air pollution exposure, including the known carcinogen benzene. So far there has been no definitive link to an increase in cancer or other illnesses, but officials also say more study is needed.
"Rare things can happen rarely ... and (sometimes) can be nothing more than random bad luck," said Dr. Blaine Tolby, a Longview pediatrician who alerted the health department to the soccer team cases. Initially concerned, Tolby said he now accepts the state's and county's findings that there isn't yet a definable cancer cluster.
That said, he added that high levels of benzene or other pollutants can contribute to diseases. And parents are right to ask questions of their doctors and others if they're concerned, he said.
And, if conditions change or more cases are reported, a more in-depth study still could be launched into the soccer team cases, health officials said.
"Obviously, we're very concerned to determine if there is a problem," Guffey said. "Because public safety is, of course, our first priority."
And knowing there is a concern, the health department plans to hold a community forum on the topic sometime in August. It will include a panel of experts who can answer residents' questions and explain the current findings.
In one way, the state and county findings are good news for the parents of the girls' classmates. There doesn't appear to be any connection or exposure that puts their children at additional risk, Tolby said.
But others, including the two families, fear the connection just hasn't been discovered yet.
Families still wonder
The families haven't had much time to study the science and statistics. But on a gut level they say it's still hard to believe there's not some connection.
"If they looked further ... I think they might find something," said Danni Wicken. "You don't want to put a big scare into the community, but as a parent who is involved in something like this you want answers. ... You don't want to run into closed doors like 'Sorry, there's no connection.' "
"(The state) did a quick sweep over, not a full investigation," Jennie Reid said.
"If it's not connected then it really has got be quite the coincidence," said Dan Wicken, an employee of Three Rivers Industrial Machine in Kelso. "Three girls who all live on the same end of town?"
Still, Dustin Reid said the main focus remains Kaylynne, not the cause of her illness.
"Almost losing your daughter," he said shaking his head. "Nothing really matters after that."
finchica wrote on Aug 3, 2008 1:46 AM:
Q wrote on Aug 3, 2008 5:40 AM:
Tired of thinking of user names wrote on Aug 3, 2008 9:12 AM:
louie wrote on Aug 3, 2008 10:05 AM:
I think the fact that all three of these young girls attend the same school and play on the same soccer team is very suspicious and warrants a total, in-depth investigation by the health department, local doctors or even the CDC. Something is not right with this situation. I would be interested to read a report of what exactly was done in regards to investigating a triple 'outbreak' of acute lymphatic leukemia. I believe our community has a very high rate of cancer and much of that surely is related to our toxic environment in Cowlitz County. The parks department needs to stop using pesticides and herbicides that are toxic to people as well as our 'good' bugs. Not only are our bees dying in hoards now our young children are in peril. You polluters know who you are so fix it! "
aprilshowers wrote on Aug 3, 2008 11:55 AM:
TwentySomething wrote on Aug 3, 2008 12:50 PM:
Our lives are FILLED with chemicals that have dangerous potential. Many foods, cleaners, and household items contain chemicals KNOWN to be carcinogens, but they are allowed in small quantities by regulators. They claim they are only toxic in large quantities, but I don't buy it. Small amounts accumulated over time can be just as harmful, especially in a body that is already predispositioned to disease.
IVESTIGATE what's in your home. cosmeticsdatabase.com lists the ingredients and side effects for most of what we slather on our skin. It's alarming what's in products sold for use on our babies! I hope that soon we will have access to similar info about our food and cleaners. Food for thought: artificial colors have been proven to cause hyperactivity and ADD-like symptoms in many kids. "
TwentySomething wrote on Aug 3, 2008 1:15 PM:
Side effects of exposure to benzene can include: dizziness, drowsiness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, and confusion. Benzens damages bone-marrow and can cause anemia and blood-cancers including AML and ANLL. "
louie wrote on Aug 3, 2008 4:38 PM:
Think about the products you buy, read the labels, use Eco-friendly products...the shelves are starting to contain more of these 'friendly' products. This has to be a global effort or it won't matter down the road. "
ccd wrote on Aug 3, 2008 7:20 PM:
I wish these families the best of luck in their battles. My heart aches for them, as there's nothing worse than having your child suffer and feeling helpless to stop it. "
duke2 wrote on Aug 3, 2008 7:31 PM:
My advice is to be the best advocate for your child, ask lots of questions, and always be informed. And, mostly live every day to the fullest...don't get hung up on the small stuff...because in the big picture it really doesn't matter. LIVE, LOVE, and LAUGH OFTEN
God will always be with you. Don't focus on the giants! "
jo wrote on Aug 3, 2008 7:41 PM:
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