Community steps in to help 6-year-old St. Regis girl fighting leukemia

While most St. Regis children are spending their winter months enjoying the snow and attending classes, 6-year-old Zaylee has spent the past several weeks lying in a hospital bed. Last year she was diagnosed with acute-lymphocytic leukemia (type B cell).

Her mother, Syleena Simkins, is a single mother with four young children. Two are under the age of 2, with an older sister, Carmen, who is 12. Syleena was working at the Uptown Diner in Missoula before Zaylee got diagnosed. She now spends her time in hospital wards, and at a motel in Spokane when Zaylee has her treatments.

Leukemia begins in a cell in the bone marrow, according to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society website. The cell undergoes a change and becomes a type of leukemia cell. Once the marrow cell undergoes a leukemic change, the leukemia cells may grow and survive better than normal cells. Over time, these cells crowd out or suppress the development of normal cells. The rate at which it progresses and how the cells replace the normal blood and marrow cells are different with each type of leukemia.

Fortunately, the type Zaylee suffers from is one of the most common and treatable forms of childhood Leukemia. But, that hasn’t stopped her from going through several rounds of blood tests, bone marrow and kidney biopsies and lab work.

Currently Zaylee, who is described as “sweet and sassy” on her Gofundme.com profile, has a chest port to administer her chemotherapy treatments. She will have to continue treatments for several more months.

To help defray mounting medical bills, fundraisers have been put into place. One is “Strong like Zaylee” on gofundme.com. To date the site has raised over $4,000 toward a goal of $6,000. Family and friends have stepped into help financially, as well as pitch in with the younger siblings.

Syleena’s brothers, Brandon and Dustin Simkins, work at Tricon located near St. Regis. They have helped to orchestrate a spaghetti feed and auction to be held on Feb. 25, at the St. Regis Community Center. Rosemary Simkins, Brandon’s wife, said they are still accepting items for the auction and that she can be reached at 406-207-5242.

Though Zaylee hasn’t lost her hair yet, she may before her chemo sessions are over. While taking treatments, she also experiences nausea, vomiting and swelling in her hands and feet. Patients also get very tired, and there is a constant chance of getting a fever. This is because chemo lowers the number of white blood cells, which makes patients less able to fight infections.

Zaylee happily made it home for the holidays and described it as, “the best Christmas ever!” Through funds raised, the family hopes to pay medical bills, travel costs, and other bills, while focusing on Zaylee’s health.

“A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us in any way, shape or form through this tough time,” Syleena wrote on the Gofundme site. “Me and Zaylee are so, so appreciative and grateful.”