MANSFIELD, Ohio – To help aid a local family as its youngest child battles cancer, Richland County Children Services will host a blood drive from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at its Futty Training and Learning Center, located at 731 Scholl Road.
The blood donations will honor Coraellyna Wilkinson, a toddler who is battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia [AML]. She is the daughter of Carla and Steven Wilkinson, of Mansfield.
Coraellyna, who is 16 months old, officially was diagnosed with AML on June 30 – just after her June 23 birthday. And according to her mother, this type of cancer is hard to treat and has a high risk for recurrence.
Cancer.gov explains that AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow usually gets worse quickly if untreated.
“Right off the cuff, [doctors] told us she’s going to have a bone marrow transplant,” Carla Wilkinson said of her daughter. “She went through an induction round of chemo[therapy], starting on July 4; and in August, she went through a maintenance round of chemo because they found out she was in remission – they had killed all the cancer they could actually see with the induction rounds.”
The maintenance round was to keep the cancer from returning, Carla Wilkinson added.
Coraellyna, affectionately known as Cora, had a bone marrow transplant Oct. 1 and is in recovery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.
During her journey, Cora has had platelet and blood transfusions and among other things has received red blood cells and hemoglobin to replace what chemo treatment and medication wiped out of her system.
“We are super grateful for everything – from support, encouragement, prayers,” Carla Wilkinson said of the community backing. “People have supported us financially, they’ve come and helped us with different aspects of life in general to try to keep up and with our older children.”
Carla and Steven Wilkinson have two other children, 8-year-old Aiyanna and 4-year-old Keagan. Through the week, Carla said she manages life in Mansfield with her two oldest, while Steven stays with Cora at Nationwide.
Friday through Sunday, Carla goes to Columbus to relieve her husband.
Both Carla and Steven www.redcrossblood.org are social services workers, though Steven was forced to leave his job at Catalyst Life Services to be with Cora full-time. Carla is a caseworker at Richland County Children Services.
“Steven went through all of his paid [Family and Medical Leave Act], his unpaid FMLA. Then his 12 weeks where he’s basically guaranteed a position ran out, so to speak,” Carla said. “So he’s no longer employed because he’s with her 24/7.”
Through her employment, Carla said she is maintaining their insurance, children, income, and home.
“For our situation, it was sort of the way things naturally progressed – we just sort of fell into those roles,” she said. “It’s what we were best suited to do for various reasons.
“That’s how it’s played out, and it has worked well for us.”
While it is challenging at times to accept help from others having spent years working to help others, Carla said it is necessary for her and her family.
“We just want to thank everybody who has supported us and everyone who has signed up to donate – because they really are helping Cora and other children like her battle cancer,” she said.
Appointments were available by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or visiting www.redcrossblood.org and using the sponsor code of RichlandChildren.
However, according to Carla, those appointments are full.
“I tried to call to make an appointment to donate myself, and they told me it was full,” Carla said. “So they’ve got all their appointment times for our drive full, but they did say they would accept walk-ins throughout the whole thing, as well.”
All donations will go toward helping Coraellyna and others battling cancer.
