Chloe Baker

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The two words that best describe Chloe Baker are peaceful and serene.  She has this sense about her and she brings this sense to many others around her.  Since Chloe was born, many people would look at her and say they felt the presence of an angel.  Chloe's mom and dad named her for her great grandmother—someone who shared this special quality.  Chloe and her great grandmother share other traits as well, content, polite and grateful and most graceful like an angel.
 
Just last summer Chloe was like any other 5 year old little girl—she loved to play with her younger brother, enjoyed swimming and was eagerly awaiting kindergarten.  But just one week after school began, on August 24th, Chloe was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—a malignant cancer of the white blood cells. 
 
During one of her very first nights in the hospital, her angel presence was recognized again.  "The night nurse came in to see Chloe," Leslie says, "and when she looked into Chloe's eyes, tears feel from hers"—when Leslie asked her the matter she gasped and spoke quietly, "She looks like an angel."
 
Although Chloe has had some pretty tough fights in the initial 9 months of her treatment, her mother, Leslie, has reminded us, "She has been a trooper and handled the endless highs and lows of her cancer treatment with the patience and grace of an angel.  "Only once has she cried since she began her treatments."
 
For now, Chloe's treatments have slowed down and she has begun what is called the "maintenance" phase of her leukemia treatment.  This phase will last about 18 more months.  Chloe has recently returned to school, has joined friends in birthday bashes, enjoyed her first out of town trip (to her Nana's in Florida) and is eagerly awaiting the opening of the swimming pool (a happy place she has dreamt of so many times since this awful period in her life began).  Although her treatments are growing further and further apart Chloe still loves visiting the Aflac Center to visit staff members who have become such wonderful friends and to visit new friends she has found in other children sharing this disease.  Chloe also has a huge soft spot in her heart for the nurses and technicians as well as doctors of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Aflac group.  This amazing group of professionals somehow manages to bring light to every dark and painful minute that one must spend there.  Chloe often wishes she could take a day or two just to go share her day with her friends at the hospital. 
 
One of the greatest gifts Chloe's parents, Tome and Leslie, have received through Chloe's diagnosis is the support from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  "They have been like a close friend," Leslie shares.  "Every time we have reached out to them with a question or have been in need of support, they have been there for us with answers, resources, suggestions or simply an ear of empathy because they know this story much too well." 
 
Tom and Leslie are also extremely thankful to the employees of Siemens for their involvement in the "Light the Night" event and for reaching out to Chloe and her family by honoring her in this most incredible way.  When suffering from a horrible disease like cancer, especially in such a young life, few memories contribute to a beautiful or peaceful story.  However, companies like Siemens with their caring employees certainly help write a better storyline for little patients like Chloe and other children with leukemia.  Most importantly they help provide a story for these young warriors that share the promise of a future. 
 
We are confident that we have survived because of the incredible people that make up our circle of friends and family.  This circle has grown overwhelmingly to include friends of friends, coworkers and their families, neighbors, church members, schoolmates and administration, the hospital and clinic staff, The Leukemia Society and so, so many others.  In Chloe's honor people have donated money (to the Leukemia Society and to the Aflac Cancer Center), have participated in events that included running, cycling, and swimming many miles across this country and the world.  Some have donated blood and platelets, while others donated time through volunteering, making dinners, caring for her little brother, sending gifts, emails, voicemails, and kind, thoughtful letters.  Many have read her books in the most difficult time in the hospital, helped provide her healthcare and education at home and most notably they have given their time.  Now Chloe is being honored by on of the most benevolent organizations in our city, by the most charitable and supportive group of employees a company could possibly have.  We are so proud that you have chosen our angel's story to share and we both hope that this event, this year is the most successful yet.  As her parents, we will never be ready to give our angel her wings but through this night you give our daughter, our angel, a light that illuminates a world of grants, research, new treatments and better prognosis' to reinforce life for hundreds, if not thousands, of angels at a time.
 
From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!