Caylee Marie Cepero

Caylee Marie Cepero

September 3, 2000 - March 8, 2005

Caylee Marie Cepero was born on September 3, 2000. She was a happy, healthy little girl who loved playing with her younger siblings and just having fun. Caylee and her siblings had all had respiratory infections around the time Caylee died, and were all treated for it by their doctor. By the seventh day of Caylee's treatment, she had gotten over her cough, and her temperature was only at 99.1, but her school sent her home early because she was not feeling well. 

The day after Caylee was sent home early from school, she started vomiting. Her parents thought that she just had a stomach virus, and that she would be over it in just a few days. The day after this, however, she had stopped vomiting, but began dry heaving. She was taken to the pediatrician, who diagnosed her with the stomach virus. She slept for most of the next day, except for when she wanted to go to church. She ate breakfast, but was very tired because of the medication she was given. 

The next day, Caylee looked even worse, so she was taken to the pediatrician at around 9:00 a.m. The pediatrician immediately diagnosed Caylee, on sight, with leukemia. Her parents, of course, were devastated, but the pediatrician assured them "This is not a death sentence as it used to be."

They took Caylee to the children's hospital where she was diagnosed with ALL and given and 80% chance of survival, however, the next morning, the final results came back and it was discovered that Caylee didn't have ALL at all, but AML, a more rare and deadly form of cancer that is usually found in adults, rather than children like Caylee. Now Caylee had a 40% chance of survival with chemotherapy, and a 65% chance with a transplant.

Caylee's parents were told that she would have ten days of chemotherapy with up to two and a half years of follow-up treatment, but even then, she may relapse and then need a bone marrow transplant, and may even die. Soon afterwards, they had to put a ventilator in, and explain to Caylee's parents that there was a possibility of losing her. 

Caylee was resuscitated twice, and she would only last for two minutes without being on support. She was not clotting as she was supposed to, and she was not stable. She was even having a difficult time breathing. Caylee's parents were now told that Caylee would probably not live through the night.

Caylee's priest came to visit at the hospital. He saw that Caylee was suffering. All of the blood they were giving her was not staying in her body, making her basically bleed to death. He told her parents that the last bit of love they could give Caylee was to let her go. 

Caylee was disconnected. She never took a breath after she was disconnected. Her parents held her for a long time,and told her that they loved her, and they were glad they got the chance to be her parents and to know her.