Tuesday morning, Jan. 27, 2015, started out just like any other day for Falconís Dyess family. Fourth grader Cheyenne Dyess had a bit of a cough, but she was excited to go to school at Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning and looking forward to her upcoming birthday.But when 9-year-old Cheyenne went to the school bathroom, she noticed a lump about the size of a quarter on the side of her throat. She showed it to her mom after school.ìWe got a doctorís appointment that afternoon,î Cheyenneís mother, Amy Dyess said. ìThe pediatrician thought we should go to the ER to have it checked out.îThe Dyessí sat in the emergency room for hours. Doctors ordered an X-ray of Cheyenneís chest, and determined the lump was a cyst. They prescribed amoxicillin and sent her home.Amy Dyess said the diagnosis left her unsettled.As the week progressed, Cheyenneís cough worsened, from a mild, occasional cough to a constant croupy one. Soon, she began having trouble eating; and, by that Thursday, she could not swallow food; instead, vomiting everything she ate.Dyess said she again talked to the pediatrician, who told her they had not given the antibiotics enough time to work.By Friday morning, the lump on Cheyenneís neck had ballooned from quarter-size to dinner-plate-size. The bubbly fourth-grader could barely breathe.Dyess and her husband, Levi Dyess, rushed Cheyenne to the E.R. in Colorado Springs. In critical condition, her entire trachea had been crushed to the size of a coffee straw. The lump on her neck was 3 inches deep. Doctors werenít prepared to treat Cheyenne in Colorado Springs, and needed to get her to Childrenís Hospital in Denver: a life or death situation. But the hospitalís helicopter was in for maintenance.ìWe were staring death in face,î Dyess said. ìAnd there wasnít anything I could do to help save my baby girl.îEventually, a helicopter from another hospital came through; parents werenít allowed on helicopters, so Cheyenne flew to Denver with the pilot and a pediatric surgeon.When Cheyenne arrived at the hospital, her tumor was so large that doctors couldnít risk impeding her breathing in any way, so a biopsy and scan were done without sedation.That Saturday, the doctors diagnosed Cheyenne with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma; she immediately started chemotherapy.Despite the frightening diagnosis, Cheyenne maintained a positive outlook, Dyess said. Doctors said she would have to stay in intensive care for a week, but she was out in two days. Doctors said she would probably have to stay in the hospital for three to four weeks weeks, but Cheyenne went home in six days.Cheyenne celebrated her 10th birthday the Saturday after the doctors discharged her from the hospital. In anticipation of losing her hair, she decided on a short haircut for her birthday. Her hair started falling out a couple weeks later.Today, Cheyenne is 11 years old and a sixth grader at Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning.She said she wanted to share her story, so Cheyenne became an ambassador for St. Baldrickís Foundation. According to its website, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government.On Sept. 10, JAKs Brewing Co. in Falcon hosted a St. Baldrickís Foundation event that included a 5K and kid activities. Cheyenne spoke at the event to raise awareness about childhood cancer, and she has done so at many other functions.Cheyenneís parents, 5-year-old brother, Tristan, and extended family have all worked hard to help raise funds for cancer research.Since Cheyenneís diagnosis a little more than a year and a half ago, she has received countless blood transfusions and spinal taps. She has had 16 different types of chemotherapy. Her hair is growing back now, but she is still in active treatment until June 2017.She has had a few setbacks along the way like finding out she is allergic to the preservative in blood products.Every day, Cheyenne takes oral chemo at home. One week a month, she receives high doses of steroids. One day a month, she is at the hospital getting IV chemo through her port ñ- a small medical appliance installed beneath her skin with a catheter that connects it to a vein.The steroids, chemo and other drugs often have unpleasant side effects like weight gain, mood swings and lethargy, but Dyess said her daughter continues to keep a positive outlook. Cheyenne has taken up crafts like wood burning to help her get through the tough times. She sells her craft at shows, too.Although Cheyenne attends school, she has to be on the alert for illnesses that could spread because her immune system is depressed. If a majority of students have caught a bug at school, Cheyenne will stay home.Dyess said she and her husband, Levi, go to the school and talk to kids about cancer. The school launched a cancer awareness program so students can learn more about the disease affecting not only Cheyenne but also other kids in their school.
