“It symbolized her breaking the chains of this sickness and finally being set free of it,” he dad, Chris, said
Credit: Courtesy of the Taylor Family; BDK Photography
NEED TO KNOW
- A 7-year-old girl finished more than two and a half years of cancer treatment on July 13
- Adelynn Taylor celebrated by ringing a hospital bell and cutting off a symbolic bracelet her dad had worn since the early days of her treatment — something he had promised her she would do when she was one day cancer-free
- She was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 4 and underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy before entering remission
A 7-year-old girl celebrated the end of more than two and a half years of cancer treatment with two emotional milestones: ringing a hospital bell and cutting off the bracelet her father had worn since the early days of her diagnosis.
Adelynn Taylor was surrounded by family, friends and members of her Cleveland Clinic Children’s care team when she marked the end of treatment on July 13.
During the ceremony, her father, Chris Taylor, held out his wrist as Adelynn cut through a bracelet bearing the words “Adelynn Strong” — something he had promised she would one day get to do.
Credit: BDK Photography
“I told her one day she was going to beat cancer and cut the bracelet off me,” Chris said, per the Cleveland Clinic. “It symbolized her breaking the chains of this sickness and finally being set free of it.”
“It’s a bonding moment with her I’ll never forget,” he added.
For Adelynn, the moment brought its own flood of feelings. “It was a lot of emotions,” she said.
Adelynn was just 4 years old when she was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rapidly progressing blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow.
Her treatment included both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and after more than two and a half years of treatment, Adelynn received clear scans and entered remission.
Credit: Courtesy of the Taylor Family
She was able to run towards the Bravery Bell — a bell which patients ring on their last day of treatment — as loved ones cheered her on.
“Watching her run to that bell with so many people cheering her on was worth every ounce of hurt we all had to witness,” her mother, Linda Taylor, said.
“As parents, we sometimes don’t realize how resilient our kids truly are,” her dad added. “Adelynn amazes me every day with her courage, and I strive to be as brave as she is.”
Adelynn’s doctors will now continue monitoring her to make sure the leukemia remains in remission.
Her doctor, Cleveland Clinic Children’s pediatric hematologist-oncologist Dr. Ilia Buhtoiarov, said he hopes her experience can offer reassurance to other families facing a childhood leukemia diagnosis.
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Credit: Courtesy of the Taylor Family
“Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, and while we still don’t know why some children develop it, advancements in treatment mean most childhood leukemias are curable,” he said.
“While the word leukemia is a scary one,” Buhtoiarov added, “It’s important to know there’s hope.”
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