Schmit family takes it one day at a time for cancer survivor Addie - Mitchell Republic
ALEXANDRIA, S.D. — It seemed like a case of the stomach flu.
That's the recollection Addie Schmit's mother, Sarah, had of the February day in 2021 when the then 4-year-old woke up vomiting. Sarah, who works as an registered nurse at the Oakview Terrace nursing home in Freeman, chalked it up to a bug she had probably brought home from work.
But Addie never seemed to shake her illness. She was tired and continued to have issues with throwing up. Doctors tested her for COVID-19 and strep, but the results came back negative. The family again took her to the doctor, where she underwent X-rays and lab work.
Then Sarah, who was at work at the time, received a call from Addie's doctor.
"I'll never forget that phone call," Sarah told the Mitchell Republic in a recent interview.
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The doctor on the end of the line told her to stop what she was doing and delivered the hard news. As a nurse, Sarah is highly familiar with medical terminology, but it still took her a moment to realize what the doctor was saying. Then, a wave of emotion hit her. In tears, she ran out of her office, found the office of her boss and shut the door and relayed what was going on. The days, weeks and months that followed were a whirlwind of tests, surgeries and treatments that never seemed to end.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
Addie had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. She has since been hospitalized eight times, had two rounds of 28 days of continuous IV immunotherapy and endured a litany of treatments fighting the disease.
"When she was first diagnosed, she was so sick. I didn't leave her room for six days. She would not let me leave," Sarah said. "(Addie's father) Darin asked me why don't I go do something, and I'm like, 'I can't. What would I do?'"
Now, after more than two years of difficult days and treatments, Addie is ready to ring the bell to indicate that she is cancer-free. That will happen Thursday, the day before the now 7-year-old will serve as one of three honorary chairs of the Mitchell Heart and Sole Cancer Walk on Friday, a local event that raises money for those fighting cancer.
It was a hard fight, filled with worry and long drives between their home outside Alexandria and Sioux Falls. The family, which also includes husband Darin and Addie's two older siblings, Dayton and Jaden, withstood the challenge while Addie made progress. That was in no small part to the support they received from friends, family and community members who didn't let them face the struggle alone.
A family friend was one of the first to step up. She had a daughter who had gone through a similar diagnosis, and Sarah texted her early after Addie had received her diagnosis. Her friend understood what the family was going through, and quickly assembled a care package for people she knew would be spending time at the hospital away from home.
"Her story is almost like Addie's. Her mom and I were friends before, and I messaged her that first night and I said I don't think this is good," Sarah said. "The next day we had a laundry basket filled with clothes, games, you name it, it was there at the (Sanford Children's Hospital)."
Over those two years, Addie was the one who had to do the heavy lifting. She was the one undergoing surgery, taking chemotherapy treatments and enduring the unpleasant procedures that go with fighting cancer. During that time, her parents were shuttling back and forth to Sioux Falls, aching daily for their daughter and trying to maintain a balance between their careers and taking care of their two older sons.
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Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
"After about four days in, I'm bawling to the social worker — 'What do we do? I'm not working and my husband is driving back and forth. What do we do? We have our own business, how do we do this?'"
Darin farms and, along with Sarah, runs Schmit Pumping, the family business. The need to constantly be on the road to be with Addie would cut into customer scheduling, but their biggest clients told them not to worry and to take care of Addie. They'd take care of their needs until Schmit Pumping was ready to get back to work.
It was a scary time, but when things seemed darkest, they did have some advantages. Cancer can be expensive to treat, even with insurance, but there are costs that go beyond that, including travel time and missing out on work.
"Our health insurance is fantastic. Most people don't say that," Sarah said. "It's the travel. There were three months that we were in Sioux Falls every three days."
Mitchell Heart and Sole Cancer Walk then stepped in to help offset some of those expenses. The organization has distributed thousands of dollars in relief to families like the Schmits over the years. As a college student, Sarah had actually participated in the walk, and now she found herself reaching out to them.
"They can help. They give out money and can help with other things," Sarah said. "I don't think we could have done it without them, just for the travel support."
Darin also praised the community for their support.
"Everybody's been extremely generous and willing to help in any way. We appreciate everything that everyone has done for us," Darin said.
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Other members of the community have stepped up in their own way. Make-A-Wish last summer held a party for Addie, complete with a pink stretch limousine, her very own "unicorn," a horse dubbed Elvis who had been painted a variety of bright colors, complete with a horn strapped to his forehead and the Hungry Dog food truck serving up food.
"She likes unicorns, and she loves babies and playing house. Her dad made her an outdoor playhouse, eight feet by eight feet," Sarah said.
Today, Addie's prognosis is good. She will be a first-grader next year, and she still loves unicorns and playing house.
Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia aren't considered cured until they are 10 years out of treatment, so she goes for monthly lab work and a physical exam to make sure there are no side effects from the chemotherapy. But she is in remission, which alone is reason for celebration.
Addie, a young girl with personality but few words, simply smiled and nodded her head when asked if she was excited to ring the bell this weekend. Her family is, as well.
And so the family will celebrate. In addition to the Heart and Sole event, Addie will ring the traditional bell that signals when a patient has completed their cancer treatments on Thursday, and many of her school classmates, who also attended the Make-A-Wish party last year, are expected to be in attendance. Addie and company will likely be sporting one of the T-shirt styles she helped design — pink with "Warrior Princess" emblazoned on the front.
Then the family will celebrate with another party at home on Saturday, albeit without unicorns this time.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
It's been a long journey, but the family is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Schmits drew their strength during the tough times from within the family, but Sarah said she knows the trials that come with having a child fight a deadly disease, and she is glad there was a supportive community working in the background to help see them through.
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"It's very difficult. You need to find a community and you need to take it one day at a time," Sarah said. "And we're going to take it one day at a time."
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