MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Seven-year-old Hattie Shell is doing what most kids her age do nowadays — swinging on the playground, wearing cool accessories, playing on her iPad.
But just seven months ago, this is not where her family, or any medical professional thought she’d be, after she was hospitalized at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and moved to St. Jude for more specialized care.
Hattie is fighting lymphoma at St. Jude after being diagnosed with MIS-C, a condition brought on by COVID, causing body parts and organs to become inflamed. When we talked to Hattie’s mom, Kady Shell, back in September, she was in dire need of blood and plasma donations.
But now Kady says doctors told her recent test results show all signs of Hattie’s cancer are gone.
“This child continues to be evidence that God listens to our prayers,” Kady Shell said. “They did an MRI of her brain, or when they draw blood, she’s just a perfect little unicorn. There’s nothing there.”
Kady says Hattie’s counts are low, but her sass is high — a huge blessing on the road to remission, when all treatments are complete.
“We are humbled. We are emotional,” Kady Shell said.
After Thursday, Hattie has five rounds of chemotherapy left. Then, she’ll be considered cancer-free.