U-M alumni return from Central Asia to seek treatment for their child at Mott

The Beyer family had been living in Central Asia doing ministry work for three years.

Their initial plan was to live there for several more years, but that changed when their daughter, Abel, was 2 years old.

Her parents noticed that she had developed red dots across her body.

Abel also had bruises that were different to the ones she developed when she played with her two brothers.

A family friend, who was a doctor, recommended getting a blood test.

The results showed that Abel had very high white blood cell counts, which indicated that she might have cancer.

“Our lives completely flipped in the next 30 hours,” said Brennen Beyer, Abel’s father. “We didn’t sleep the entire time because we were trying to get her to the U.S.”

During this time, they had to ensure that Abel didn’t have any accidents where she could injure herself or come in contact with anyone who was ill.

Her mother, Nicole Beyer, accompanied Abel during her medical evacuation to a hospital in Bordeaux, France.

After some initial treatment to ensure she remained stable, Abel and her mother flew to the United States.

Her father and brothers followed them two days later after they packed up their home.

Choosing Mott for pediatric cancer care

Abel’s parents both graduated from the University of Michigan and were student athletes.

Her father was on the football team and her mother played soccer.

Their experience as volunteers at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital convinced them to return to Michigan and seek care for Abel.

“It was a full-circle moment when we came back,” Beyer said.

“My wife even recognized the same person who would bring all the athletes up on the elevator to take them to the kids' rooms.”

Beyer was referring to longtime hospital and Michigan From the Heart volunteer Curt Schuster, who helps lead student-athlete visits at Mott and accompanies athletes as they visit patients in their rooms.

A month after Abel’s third birthday, Mott confirmed her diagnosis as an aggressive form of T-cell leukemia.

Her therapy regimen was led by Joshua Goldman, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Lynn Slagle, N.P., Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

Abel’s treatment includes two and a half years of multi-agent chemotherapy: the first nine months included weekly sessions, and she just transitioned into a maintenance phase where each cycle lasts for 12 weeks.

“During this process, what stands out is how resilient the whole family is, how united they've been in getting her care and making sure Abel doesn’t miss out on being a kid,” Goldman said.

“I love that after they moved back, she discovered what a hot dog was and now it’s her favorite food.”

Once Abel finishes her treatment in 2028, her care team will continue to monitor her for five years to ensure she doesn't have any relapses.

According to Slagle, Abel will also have access to the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program, which focuses on a patient’s well-being after active cancer treatment.

Relying on faith and community during the treatment journey

The family’s faith helped them navigate the harder experiences they had during Abel’s diagnosis and treatment.

“Faith is the cornerstone of how we're walking through this,” Beyer said.

“I've found myself feeling joy and peace during some of the darkest and hardest moments. And having our community loving us, encouraging us and being with us has been such a good anchor.”

During their stay at Mott, the family was touched by how many people came together to support Abel in her journey, including the student athlete volunteers.

“Abel’s spunky personality plays into this, but she gets excited when we go to Mott because everyone there tries their best to put a smile on our faces,” Beyer said.

Outside Mott, Abel spends her time playing outdoors, swimming and wrestling with her brothers.

Learn about getting involved at BlockOutCancer.org and be a part of bringing hope, healing and brighter tomorrows to children and families facing cancer.

Sign up for Health Lab newsletters today. Get medical tips from top experts and learn about new scientific discoveries every week.

Sign up for the Health Lab Podcast. Add us wherever you listen to your favorite shows.