CRESTVIEW — Katie Mitchell was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in December 2013, and has undergone regular intravenous chemotherapy since then.
For three years, a routine of seemingly endless medical visits became normal for the 5-year-old and her family.
That is, until Wednesday, when Katie completed treatments at Nemours Children’s Clinic at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. April 1, she will take her final chemo pill.
“It feels good,” she said of the milestone.
Thea Duhaime, Katie’s grandmother, said Katie’s family, including her brother, Ryan, 7, joined her for the last spinal tap.
“The nurses dress up in silly hats and ring a bell for her,” Duhaime said. “They sang, ‘Happy last chemo day to you.’ They were in tears. She’s a little celebrity there.”
Katie was hungry afterward, necessitating a quick visit to a McDonald’s drive-thru for fries, Duhaime said. But her celebration dinner came later.
“I placed the order to Bamboo Sushi for her favorite meal: chicken teriyaki with steamed rice,” Duhaime said, adding the restaurant presented the family with a $100 gift certificate.
Duhaime said her granddaughter’s lively spirit and contagious smile have inspired the whole family and everyone who’s met Katie during her treatment.
“She is one of the bravest people I know,” Duhaime said. “She has just taken it in stride.”
Now, the family must readjust.
“We can learn a new normal now,” Duhaime said. “For two and a half years, that (the treatments) was the normal.
“We can have a normal kid again.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview girl completes chemotherapy treatments