Sixth grader Chloe has never been one to worry about the odds. That attitude, along with a little help from the ongoing work of Children’s Cancer Research Fund, has earned the 11-year-old two titles: world champion and cancer survivor.
Chloe, who has been cancer-free since November 2003, won the American Quarter Horse Youth Association’s world championship for barrel racing in August 2006. The event is the world’s largest single-breed youth competition, attracting 900 kids, ages 18 and younger. In winning her title, Chloe defeated competitors nearly twice her age.
Barrel racing is a timed female rodeo event, where the fastest time is what matters most. Cowgirls compete in the arena against each other and the clock, navigating around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern. Chloe has been barrel racing since age 3, winning her first competition at age 5.
Chloe’s competitive spirit and love of horses were vital in her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which began in November 2000. Prior to her diagnosis that month, Chloe was severely lethargic and continuously had high fevers. “I had really dark circles under my eyes,” she recalls.
Since Chloe was only 4 years old at the time, she didn’t understand what it meant to have cancer. However, her mother, Staci Fruth, experienced a double dose of shock. “Chloe did not present with typical symptoms of leukemia,” says Staci. “In fact, that same day an oncologist patted me on the back and told me not to worry; she didn’t have cancer.”
When Staci received the diagnosis, she thought they surely had mad a mistake. She sat by the phone for more than an hour not knowing whom to call because her husband Pat was out of town. “I had a hard time looking Chloe in the eye because I didn’t know what to tell her,” she says.
Chloe underwent chemotherapy at a local children’s hospital from November 2000 through February 2003. Despite the chemotherapy, Chloe relapsed in August 2003. She then received radiation treatments in September and November of 2003.
In November, she was then referred to the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview for an umbilical cord blood transplant. By supporting the University of Minnesota’s Stem Cell Biology Program, Children’s Cancer Research Fund is enabling University researchers to continue their pioneering efforts in umbilical cord blood transplantation. This support enables researchers to expand their umbilical cord blood studies to further develop novel approaches for treating pediatric cancer patients like Chloe who require marrow transplantation.
After her transplant, Chloe stayed in the hospital for another 67 days under the care of Dr. Margie MacMillan.
“We went to the hospital with a positive attitude, says Chloe. “We had the nurses doing cheerleading pyramids and we played ‘YMCA’ over the intercom.”
To bring a touch of home to her hospital room, Chloe decorated with pictures of the family’s horses. In addition, she and her father strung flamingo lights from the ceiling and painted a smiley face on her window. She also brought a bright-colored quilt with her from home for extra comfort and a “dress the Elvis” magnet that was popular with the doctors.
According to Staci, Chloe was hospitalized roughly 35 times for a total of approximately 125 days during her 3½ years of treatment. She was motivated to rise above the pain and mental anguish of cancer treatment because she always had a barrel race for which to prepare. “Horses, which we consider as family, provided unconditional love,” says Staci. “It was as if they knew and understood her struggles. She had so much more to do and think about with horses instead of dwelling on the cancer itself. While she was subject to isolation from her friends and classmates due to fear of infection, safe access to her horses was truly the highlight of her life. I am thankful that the doctors allowed her that privilege.”
Chloe’s battle with cancer has created a variety of memories outside the world of horses. For instance, she has the unhappy memory of her classmates not recognizing her when she returned to school because she had lost her hair from chemotherapy and gained fluid from taking oral steroids. She also remembers suffering from an itchy rash that resulted from her engraftment.
Regardless of the negative experiences, Chloe’s positive attitude and competitive spirit created far more happy memories. “One of the best parts of my treatment was the people I was able to meet,” recalls Chloe. “The experience has also made me a more understanding person. It’s made me realize how special life is, and that it’s important to look at the positive things in life rather than thinking about the negative.”
Although Chloe didn't win the world championship in 2007, the year still included exciting highlights. Chloe was featured in an August 2007 Perk at Play segment on KARE 11 TV. She was also spotlighted at the 2007 Macy's Glamorama, a fashion show benefiting Children's Cancer Research Fund. In addition, new nationally syndicated cable program is intested in her story for their pilot episode, which could air in September 2008.
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