Triumph sounded through the halls of Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health.
Audrey Wampler stood by a wall-mounted bell, pulling the chain three times. The sound was cathartic. For the past 2 1/2 years, the Center Grove area girl had endured countless chemotherapy treatments, blood transfusions and hospitalizations. She had been diagnosed with acute B cell lymphoblastic leukemia.
But ringing the bell, a Riley Hospital tradition for those who have completed cancer treatment, marked the end of that painful journey.
"It was a very important moment for my family, because we knew we were done with treatment," she said.
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But Audrey’s experience didn’t mean that she put cancer behind her. Rather, she’s become an advocate for others who have been diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or other blood cancers.
She tells her story to give others hope.
"It is important to do this because it lets patients know they aren’t alone," she said. "You are going to get through it."
For her advocacy, Audrey has been named the Girl of the Year by the Indiana chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
"She was always positive and upbeat during treatment, even during those darker days when we know she didn’t feel good," said Ann Haddix, a nurse practitioner at Riley who treated Audrey. "She kept going and persevered through it all, and I think she’s a good example on how you can turn a negative into a positive."
Looking back, Kristen Wampler can pinpoint a number of signs in her daughter that all pointed to leukemia. But in the spring of 2017, that never crossed her mind.
"If you saw them now, you could look those signs up and put it all together and say, ‘Oh, that person has leukemia.’ But it’s not something you think to look up," Kristen Wampler said.
Audrey had some bruising on her legs, and was experiencing bleeding in her gums. Since she had just started wearing braces, her parents figured that was the cause. Her orthodontist didn’t see anything surprising, advising them to make sure everything was clean. The explanation seemed to fit.
Then, after a wipe-out on her dirt bike, she developed a condition called Petechiae. The tiny red dots on her skin were a result of her blood failing to clot.
Around that time, Audrey had a wellness check at her doctor’s office. Immediately, the pediatrician recognized all the symptoms of leukemia. The doctor pulled Kristen Wampler out into the hallway, and told her they needed to get to Riley immediately.
"It was very overwhelming. Even after we got down to Riley and were in the (emergency department), they were having trouble getting her blood drawn because of the lack of clotting," she said. "Waiting on the results, I still didn’t think it was going to be cancer. You don’t think that’s going to happen to your child."
Doctors confirmed that Audrey had acute B cell lymphoblastic leukemia. The disease impacts immature white blood cells, turning them cancerous. These cancerous cells grow quickly in a person’s bone marrow, hampering the body’s ability to make normal, healthy cells.
Because the cancer grows fast, treatment needed to start immediately.
Suddenly, the family went from visiting the doctor to planning out an extended stay in the hospital.
"It was one thing after another. We had to figure out what to do now, how to get things from home to the hospital. It was a whirlwind," Kristen Wampler said.
Haddix was one of Audrey’s nurses from the start, and followed her all the way through treatment. She was struck by the girl’s positive attitude.
"She was always happy to come and see us. Some patients, understandably, are reluctant to come, sour or upset or sad. But Audrey was one of the patients who always seemed happy, even when we knew she wasn’t feeling her best," Haddix said.
Audrey’s leukemia required more than two years of therapy, starting with intense weekly treatments of different chemotherapy drugs that lasted for almost four months. The protocol lessened in intensity as time progressed, but was still difficult.
The schedule that was laid out seemed daunting, so the family tried to focus on what had to be done on a smaller scale.
"It was just buckling down, taking it day-by-day," Kristen Wampler said. "We weren’t looking too far into the future, because it could be overwhelming."
Looking for support, the Wampler family found the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They signed up for the Light the Night event the society holds each year, a fundraising walk to raise awareness and money for research about blood cancers.
Being surrounded by so many other families and individuals impacted by the disease was overwhelming.
"For Audrey to see all of the people there who were currently battling—as well as seeing all of those who had battled and won—and the family there that were supporting each other, it made her feel that she wasn’t the only one. It really did help," Kristen Wampler said.
For 2 1/2 years, Audrey experienced the ups and downs of treatment. The chemotherapy sessions were brutal, and she was hospitalized once after she got the flu in 2018.
But slowly, as the months progressed and her doctors monitored her, she got better.
"Every time we would go, we’d hope and pray for good lab results," Kristen Wampler said.
In July 2019, Audrey completed her final treatment, and was able to ring the bell at Riley. She had passed the bell hanging on the wall countless times, and her mother told her one day, she’d get to ring it herself.
That day, her doctors and nurses who had followed her through the journey gathered around her and cheered.
"It was wonderful. They brought in a big crowd of people to help her celebrate, and I think it was a fitting celebration for all that she’d been through and as well as she’d tolerated all of the ups and downs," Haddix said.
Audrey still has to see her Riley doctors each month to ensure the cancer hasn’t returned. She also has remained active with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2018, she was asked to be an honored hero for Light the Night. She was able to tell her story and use her own experience to raise awareness about blood cancers.
The event went so well that she was invited to take part in additional activities for the society. This year, she was named Girl of the Year for the state of Indiana, which was an unexpected recognition, she said.
"It makes me feel honored," Audrey said.
Each year, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society hosts its Man or Woman of the Year philanthropic competition. Candidates for the honor form fundraising teams, competing to raise the most funds; the team that does is awarded the title.
As Girl of the Year, Audrey aids the fundraising effort and participates in events throughout the campaign.
"She just blows me away with how much she does and how much she wants to help," Kristen Wampler said.
