Jenna is all about princesses, pink and her Arkansas boyfriend, a fellow patient of St. Jude’s. Throw in some rhinestones and she’s a happy little girl.
When she was 17 months old, Jenna, daughter of John and Misti Jecmenek and little sister to Jessica, was diagnosed with an ependymoma, a type of tumor that arises from cells that line cavities within the brain.
On Saturday, Jenna along with her family and friends will be celebrating her survival and remembering those who were less fortunate by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at Temple High School stadium in Temple.
The Relay for Life team, Jenna’s Jedi Knights, will be dressed in her favorite color - pink. The team is made up of family members, friends and those who have supported the little girl.
“We actually have enough people for two teams,” Jecmenek said.
The family has been involved in the Relay for Life since Jenna was 2.
“This is the first year to have our own team and this year is the first time Jenna has participated without a walker,” she said.
“We got started with Relay and we’ve done it every year and will do it every year until we can’t do it anymore,” Jecmenek said. “While it’s lots of fun, it can also be emotional.”
Jecmenek’s father died of cancer in December 2007.
“He worked a lot with Jenna when she was sick, helping her learn to walk,” she said. “We walk in honor of him, too.”
When Jenna was 12 months old she wasn’t progressing as fast as her parents thought she should.
They questioned Jenna’s doctor about it, but were told not to worry, there could be many reasons for a delay.
At 15 months, Jenna was vomiting and sleeping all the time. She went to see a Scott & White Memorial Hospital neurologist who ordered an MRI.
“We knew something was wrong, but never in a millions years did we think it was cancer,” Jecmenek said.
Jenna’s MRI was performed in the morning. By early afternoon, the Jecmeneks had been told their daughter had cancer and was being admitted into the hospital with surgery scheduled for the next morning.
According to Jecmenek, the doctors at Scott & White did some research and found that St. Jude’s had the best outcome for children under the age of 3 who needed radiation treatment.
Scott & White sent all of Jenna’s records and MRIs to St. Jude’s, where Jenna had more surgery to remove the final tiny bit of tumor, radiation treatments and a shunt inserted.
After the surgery Jenna had to start all over again - learn how to sit up and walk.
Radiation was the only option for treatment after surgery and the 33 radiation treatments have left Jenna with some learning disabilities and profoundly deaf.
The problems are minimal, considering what might have been.
“We’re learning sign language and she’s thriving,” Jecmenek said. “I’d much rather deal with these issues than cancer.”
Jenna has had physical therapy, occupational therapy, all kinds of therapy, her mother said. She’s had hippotherapy with horses and hopefully she’ll soon start aquatic therapy.
In October, Jenna returned to Memphis to have the scar tissue that was pressing on her spinal cord removed. She came home in a halo she wore until January.
Normally, Jenna goes to St. Jude’s every six months for a checkup, but the family will return to Memphis on Monday so her doctors can make sure no problems have cropped up since the surgery she had in the fall.
The family will be in Memphis for three days, but before they return home they’ll stop off in Arkansas to see Jenna’s beau.
“We’ve been very blessed, she’s made it five years,” Jecmenek said. “We’ve been told that if she goes two years without an occurrence the chances are really good it won’t come back.”
Jessica, 14, was 8 when her little sister was diagnosed with cancer and really didn’t know what was going on.
Today, Jenna is the typical little sister, mimicking Jessica at every opportunity. When Jessica twists her hair between her fingers, Jenna does the same. Jessica sticks out her tongue, so does Jenna.
“She wants to be just like her big sister,” her mom says. “When Sissy is putting on makeup, Jenna’s right there with ‘Mom, I need mascara.’”
Jenna will be entering the first grade this fall. She’s about a year behind.
“It’s been hard, but we’ve done what we needed to do,” Jecmenek said. “We take it one day at a time and thank God for our blessings.”
