On December 1st our three year old son Elijah was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). He had almost no symptoms, he was just a little pale. His preschool teachers noticed it on the day before Thanksgiving. We, thinking he was anemic, started him on some iron rich foods and made an appointment with his pediatrician for the day they reopened after the Thanksgiving break. He was running, playing, going to swim lessons, and riding his bike a few miles just days before. They did a quick blood test at the pediatrician’s office and had my wife rush him to the ER. A few hours later we got a diagnosis no person ever wants to hear. Elijah started chemotherapy on the 3rd after they gave him four transfusions, a port in his arm called a picc line, and a bone marrow biopsy. We are very happy that his prognosis is good, the cure rate for this cancer is 85%. We are still waiting on the results from four tests that will happen over the next month. These will determine how much chemotherapy or possibly radiation he will need over the next three and a half years. We caught this cancer in time and Elijah is responding well to the therapy. They are telling us right now to expect two or three treatments a week for the next eight months. If that goes well they can reduce the amount of chemotherapy to monthly visits over three years. Elijah’s immune system is nonexistent right now, and while it is starting to come back, a side effect of chemotherapy is that it gets reduced even more. This will mean he will be largely confined to the house for at least the next year. It also means that he cannot come into contact with anyone who is sick or has been around sick people. I will be taking additional precautions at work to avoid getting sick. If we don’t shake your hand please don’t take it personally. This is a challenging time for our family and we want to thank everyone who has already been so helpful. We have an amazing network of Family, Friends, and Co-Workers who have stepped up to help us.
A wish list of items has been established with Amazon
please visit this list and help where you can click here
We have setup a facebook page where you can follow along in Elijah’s treatment and get updates on how he is doing. The page is called “I’m Helping to Heal Elijah”:
We wanted to ask that as this holiday season approaches you take a few extra minutes to appreciate the people that are important to you, give them extra hugs, and tell them how you feel. Don’t sweat the small stuff because you really never know just how fast your life can be flipped upside down.
The Herman Family
The Talbert Family Foundation will donate 100% of the funds received to Elijah and his family
Please donate now to
Elijah's Fund
To Donate Online to
Elijah's Fund
Click the Link Below -
designate the funds to
Elijah's Fund
To Donate via mail Click Here for a downloadable form
Checks can be mailed directly to: THE TALBERT FAMILY FOUNDATION Elijah's Fund
25003 JIM BRIDGER ROAD
HIDDEN HILLS, CA 91302
On December 1st our three year old son Elijah was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). He had almost no symptoms, he was just a little pale. His preschool teachers noticed it on the day before Thanksgiving. We, thinking he was anemic, started him on some iron rich foods and made an appointment with his pediatrician for the day they reopened after the Thanksgiving break. He was running, playing, going to swim lessons, and riding his bike a few miles just days before. They did a quick blood test at the pediatrician’s office and had my wife rush him to the ER. A few hours later we got a diagnosis no person ever wants to hear. Elijah started chemotherapy on the 3rd after they gave him four transfusions, a port in his arm called a picc line, and a bone marrow biopsy. We are very happy that his prognosis is good, the cure rate for this cancer is 85%. We are still waiting on the results from four tests that will happen over the next month. These will determine how much chemotherapy or possibly radiation he will need over the next three and a half years. We caught this cancer in time and Elijah is responding well to the therapy. They are telling us right now to expect two or three treatments a week for the next eight months. If that goes well they can reduce the amount of chemotherapy to monthly visits over three years. Elijah’s immune system is nonexistent right now, and while it is starting to come back, a side effect of chemotherapy is that it gets reduced even more. This will mean he will be largely confined to the house for at least the next year. It also means that he cannot come into contact with anyone who is sick or has been around sick people. I will be taking additional precautions at work to avoid getting sick. If we don’t shake your hand please don’t take it personally. This is a challenging time for our family and we want to thank everyone who has already been so helpful. We have an amazing network of Family, Friends, and Co-Workers who have stepped up to help us.