Awareness, support drives Kingwood family after son diagnosed with disease

By JENNIFER SUMMER
Updated: 07.08.09
Melanie McTaggart first noticed something was not right with her son, Grant, when his stomach became bloated and hard.

She mentioned her concerns to her husband, David, and it was not until they were in Waco visiting his parents that they decided to take him in to the hospital to get checked out.

“In my mind, I knew there was something wrong. We were thinking it could be gas or appendicitis, we were not very sure,” Melanie said.

The nurses at the hospital in Waco took Grant’s blood and they began to notice irregularities. Grant was anemic and his blood platelet levels were extremely low.

They did several x-rays and noticed his spleen was enlarged so they recommended the McTaggarts go to Cook Children’s Center for an official diagnosis.

“Since we live in Kingwood, we talked with the doctors about transferring him to Texas Children’s Hospital,” Melanie said. “They agreed and transported Grant and I to Texas Children’s Hospital from Waco in an ambulance.”

Grant was officially diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia May 24.

“When they told us Grant had the Philadelphia chromosome, that was the worst news we could receive,” Melanie said. “After we were released that Friday, Grant’s doctor, Dr. ZoAnn Dreyer, called us and shared a report they released a medicine to treat Grant’s specific disease and the survival rate was close to 85 percent.”

Doctors placed Grant on several different medications including a steroid which has affected the way some of Grant’s muscles have developed and he begins chemotherapy treatment starting on his third birthday July 10.

The community, friends and family have stepped forward to help the McTaggarts by organizing blood drives in honor of Grant and others who are need of blood.

The first blood drive will be held July 10 at the Humble Civic Center and the second one will be July 17 at Texas Contract Carpet in Houston.

“The support we have received from the community is amazing. Since I graduated from Kingwood High School in 1995, we have been contacted by former classmates and teachers, former college classmates and other moms throughout the area who have read my blog and have been through what we are going through,” Melanie said. “Kingwood is big in some ways and small in others. Words cannot express how thankful we are for the support we have received.”

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