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Shanon Haney is shown with her daughters (left) Tifany, Taylor and Paris Kloer. Taylor, 7, is suffering from leukemia and is home from the hospital for the first time in many weeks. A benefit softball tournament will be held Saturday, Nov. 4 at Jeff Davis Park in Rush Springs, with all proceeds going to Taylor’s family.
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A SURVIVOR’S STORY
Rush Springs girl seeks help with treatment
Tater Bug is going to die. That’s what the doctors say anyway.
But Tater Bug is tough, and she’s proven the doctors wrong before. Time to do it again.
Taylor Kloer, known as Tater Bug to most of her friends and family, is sick, but at least she’s at home with her family. And that makes all the difference in the world to a 7-year-old who’s battling leukemia.
Kloer’s family hopes others will join Tater Bug in her fight. A co-ed benefit softball tournament is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 14 at Jeff Davis Park in Rush Springs. Entry fees are $10 per person or $100 per team. A homerun derby costs $5 per person. All proceeds will go to Kloer’s family.
Taylor’s story is as uplifting as it is heartbreaking. Overcoming insurmountable odds, she continues to fight - and win.
“In February, 2004, I was told those dreadful words no parent ever wants to hear - ‘your child has cancer,’ ” said Taylor’s mother Shanon Haney.
At the age of 18 months, Taylor was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
She was taken to Children’s OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City and was enrolled in many research studies for the treatment and cure of childhood cancer.
The treatment study that Taylor was to receive would last two-and-a-half years. Taylor had many transfusions of whole blood, red blood cells, platelets and fresh, frozen platelets.
“Treatment seemed to fly by with just a few hospital stays for fever,” Haney said.
In October, 2006, Taylor was off of treatment and was cancer free, having lost only her hair.
But four months later, in February, 2007, the doctors were saying those dreadful words again. Because Taylor had not been off treatment for at least six months, this time those words were deadly.
Taylor went back on Chemo immediately, this time with stronger and more dangerous medications.
Things then took another turn for the worse.
Two weeks after her relapse, Taylor began to have seizures.
A CAT scan revealed fluid around Taylor’s brain, a condition known as hydrocephalus. After draining off and testing the fluid, it was discovered that Taylor had bacterial spinal meningitis. Drains were placed in her head to remove the extra fluid that was caused by the leukemia and meningitis, both of which had caused the seizures.
“At this point, the doctors told me I needed to make final arrangements for my daughter because there was nothing else they could do for her except pump massive amounts of antibiotics into her,” Haney said. “They were positive the medication would not help because her body had no immune system left to fight the bacteria. She was given a “less than zero” chance of survival.”
But survive she did.
She suffered some mental delays and could no longer walk or move her legs, but Taylor proceeded with Chemo until the end of June, 2007 when she began total body radiation to prepare for a bone marrow transplant.
Taylor’s sisters, Tifany and Paris, were each a perfect match for the transplant.
On July 3, 2007, Paris was chosen as the donor and some of her bone marrow was removed and given to Taylor the same day.
After a few months, the transplant was considered a success.
Taylor was once again cancer free.
On July 10, 2009, Taylor had her infusa-port and feeding tube removed and was able to swim at the lake and public swimming pools and to go camping - things she has wanted to do for years but was unable to because of the medical equipment she had been given years before.
“On Aug. 17, 2009, I took Taylor back to Children’s OU Medical Center because she had been having headaches,” Haney said.
A CAT scan revealed that the hydrocephalus had returned and there was a mass in Taylor’s head causing pressure on her brain which, in turn, was causing the headaches.
After four days of trying to determine what was wrong, doctors performed a spinal tap and bone marrow aspiration.
“ Within two hours, I was told the cancer was back,” Haney said. “Doctors said at this point, treatment would most likely not work, but God gave us another miracle.”
The Chemotherapy worked in just one round and put Taylor into remission.
She got to go home.
On Sept. 2, 2009, a routine spinal tap revealed several bacterias growing in Taylor’s blood. Once those were cleared up, Taylor had a seizure one Saturday and didn’t wake up until the following Monday.
During this time, Taylor began to bleed from her intestines and, by the time the bleeding stooped, she had lost nearly two-and-a-half quarts of blood.
“Her blood pressure dropped, she stopped breathing and her heart stopped,” Haney said. “Doctors were able to bring Taylor back, but they placed a Do Not Resuscitate order and told me if we continued with Chemo, we would lose her and if we didn’t continue, the leukemia would come back and we would lose her.”
Today, Taylor is in God’s hands.
“If it is His will to take her home, then so be it,” Haney said.
But right now, Taylor says she wants to continue treatment and if she is going to die, either way she wants to go out fighting.
On Oct. 21, 2009, Taylor underwent another round of Chemo and came home for the first time in seven weeks.
Taylor is now at home and is being her funny, loving and cheerful self.
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Transformations
What comes to mind when you think of the word, “Transformation”?Do you have fantastic thoughts of people or things changing into something amazing for example, Clark Kent turning into Superman or Bruce Banner becoming the Incredible Hulk or possibly something a little more down to earth like a caterpillar miraculously changing into the beautiful butterfly?
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GRADY COUNTY FAIR RESULTS
Plants
Potted Plants
(Several varieties combined)
First: (Adult) Ann O'Bar
Second: (Adult) Joyce Riker
Third: (Adult) Jallane Link -
AROUND THE AREA
SEPTEMBER 2
Poetry Reading
• When: Sept. 2, 7 p.m.
• Where: Eduardo’s Mexican Restaurant, Private Room, 3127 S. 4th St., Chickasha
• Details: Featured Poet is Carol Hamilton, writer, storyteller and Poet Laureate of Oklahoma 1995-97Hamilton’s website is www.carolhamilton.org. There is no admission fee to attend the Poetry Reading, and refreshments are available for purchase. For more information, contact Rockford Johnson, 224-0160 or 317-7506. -
Duncan nips Chicks for straight-game win
Duncan got their eighth match win of the season Tuesday, beating Nancy Waters’ Lady Chicks in straight games at the Activity Center.
The Chicks looked like they had a little hangover from Monday night’s tough road loss at Tecumseh, coming out flat again and dropping their first two games by identical 25-17 scores.
They came out firing on all eight cylinders for game three, running out to a 15-9 lead on the strength of a 7-0 run with Shelby Crosley serving, but the Demons battled back to tie it late and the Chicks let it slip away, 25-21. -
STATE SPORTS BRIEFS
NORMAN (AP) — Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has named walk-on Patrick O'Hara as the starting place-kicker for the seventh-ranked Sooners.
Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday night that O'Hara won the competition with Jimmy Stevens, freshman Michael Hunnicutt and redshirt freshman Bryce Easley. -
OSU's Gundy still learning on job
STILLWATER (AP) — Mike Gundy hasn't lost his love for dialing up the right play to keep Oklahoma State's offense purring along.
That passion, which he has called the most enjoyable part of his job as head coach, was bred into him as an offensive coordinator. And he is a former starting quarterback for the Cowboys. -
Whimsical metal work, jewelry part of big art show at USAO
A showing of whimsical metal work and jewelry is scheduled to be on display at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma during Helen’s Show Sept. 10-Oct 1.
The show will feature the work of USAO graduate Helen Shafer. The exhibition will be open daily during normal business hours in the Davis Hall Third Floor Art Gallery on the USAO campus. The show is free and open to the public. An opening reception is scheduled Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the gallery. -
High-speed chase lands 1 in jail
A high-speed motorcycle chase down Highway 81 last Wednesday landed a Ninnekah man in jail and a felony charge of eluding a police officer.
Court records show that James William Hutchins, 21, blew by Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Timothy Parrish at U.S. Highway 81 and County Road 1460 and was clocked going 144 miles per hour in a posted 70 miles per hour zone.
Parrish reported that he was sitting stationary at that location at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 25 when he observed a red motorcycle traveling southbound. He engaged his emergency lights and siren and pulled onto the roadway behind the Triumph motorcycle. -
5 inmates denied parole
Parole was recently denied for five Grady County inmates serving sentences with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
The following individuals were denied at the August Pardon and Parole Board meeting:
• Jeremiah Daniel Cline, who is serving a five-year sentence for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and a five-year sentence for possession of a controlled dangerous substance, began his sentence in August 2008.
• Warren P. Diego, who is serving a 15-year sentence (10 years PTS) for lewd molestation, began his sentence in February 2009. -
Judge recuses herself from pharmacy case
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state district judge has stepped aside from the first-degree murder trial of a pharmacist accused in the fatal shooting of an unconscious would-be robber.
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Transformations
