Ten year old McKhia Hasty had a special visit from Santa Claus, about a week late. McKhia was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) just after Thanksgiving. Following her first round of chemotherapy, she spent some time in the PICU at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls.
The daughter of Samantha Casper, McKhia has one brother, Isaac DeBates. Opening belated Christmas presents with her brother, McKhia realized that she had missed Christmas, and a special call was put out to have Santa make a late visit.
Now in fifth grade, McKhia has been attending school in Sioux Falls, staying with her mother’s aunt Sara and cousin Jaime since August. She previously attended Round Lake-Brewster School.
“Just before Thanksgiving, she developed a fever,” her mother explained. “Monday morning (after Thanksgiving) she went to the doctor, and they did a blood test. She was then admitted and we were told that the best case scenario it was anemia. Worst case, Leukemia. It turned out to be Leukemia.”
The treatment for AML will consist of intense, but short, chemo treatments, followed by a few weeks of recovery. She’s had her first round of chemo (ten days, every 12 hours, three chemo meds). She will have three more rounds of chemo, with a fourth med added for round two.
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