Show Me the Ozarks September 2022

Health SMTO

S eptember is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Kristin Patterson, executive director for Camp Quality Ozarks, is doing her part to raise awareness in our communities. Camp Quality is a year-long support program for children with cancer and their families. The Camp Quality Ozarks chapter is one of 17 camps in the United States with the ultimate goal of “letting kids with cancer be kids again.” Kristin has been involved with Camp Quality for over 25 years. For eight of those years, she was a camper herself after battling cancer as a child. “At the age of 10, I was diagnosed withAMLLeukemia,” said Kristin. “It was a very dark, dreary time for my family and me. The unknown was terrifying. You hear of cancer but truly never think it will happen to you, especially as a child, and then one day you become the cancer patient. When we found out about my diagnosis, the cancer was very far spread and treatment had to be started immediately. I first took chemo and then my amazing sister Kara Patterson, who will forever be my hero, gave me a bone marrow transplant. I was in remission and on my way to becoming a kid again. Kristin was in remission for 22 years and then her worst nightmare became a reality once again. “The summer of 2019, my world was flipped upside down, and I was diagnosed with a secondary type of Leukemia, APL Leukemia,” said Kristin. “We were devasted and scared to start the fight once again but knew that was the only choice I had and was ready to beat it for a second time. This diagnosis was a very complex diagnosis and required almost a year of chemotherapy. As of today, I am in remission again and doing well!” Ozarks Article and photos by Amy Howe Quality CAMP

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