Two Warriors’ Battles

Living through a scenario that no parent ever wants to experience, Forney parents David & Kathryn Spurgeon and Brendan & Kristin Zastoupil have children that are battling leukemia. Coincidentally, both Elyse Spurgeon and Bryton Zastoupil are students at Warren Middle School in Forney. While they don’t have the same type of leukemia – Elyse has ALL and Bryton has AML – the rarity for both patients to live in the same town and attend the same school with such similar cases of this rare disease is indeed unusual. Doctors have said that, because they are different types of this cancer that attacks blood-forming tissues, though, this oddity is purely coincidental.

Elyse, 14, discovered her diagnosis after a persistent sore throat and some minor complications following a dental procedure. When these outwardly unrelated symptoms persisted, David and Kathryn took her to see her pediatrician where doctors performed blood tests. The next morning, they received a phone call to come immediately to Children’s Medical Center for more testing. That afternoon, the family received the news that they hoped so fervently not to hear: Elyse has Acute Myeloid Leukemia. That was September 5, and the following two and a half months have been a roller coaster of events for their family. Elyse immediately began chemotherapy, with hopes of going into remission, while they also began a nationwide search for a bone marrow match. After countless family and friends were tested and the national database scoured, Elyse’s perfect match was found in her biggest fan. Her four-year-old brother, Rocke, has the bone marrow needed to help save his big sister. Though the first two rounds of chemo unfortunately did not achieve remission, the family is believing that “the third time’s the charm” and they’re hopeful and preparing the upcoming bone marrow transplant between the siblings.

Meanwhile, 12.5-year-old Bryton is battling another type of Leukemia. In similar fashion, Bryton’s diagnosis came on the heals of what seemed to be an ordinary childhood sickness. But after two weeks of nausea and vomiting, the Zastoupils pressed their pediatrician to explore other testing to find the cause. Upon receiving lab results, their doctor also instructed them to make their way to Children’s Medical Center for further investigation. Then after hours of initial testing in the emergency room, Bryton was admitted to the same hospital as Elyse with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on October 20. Though he received his diagnosis about a month and a half after Elyse, Bryton’s leukemia was found in the very early stages and he is now undergoing chemotherapy. “Because it presented itself the way it did, we caught it really early,” Kristin notes. The family is grateful for that leg-up on the disease, as they recently learned that Bryton has a cancer cell mutation that makes his the rare version of ALL. Kristin explains, “We’re still hopeful that the mutation is not in his healthy cells because, if it is, it could mean our younger son has a high risk for rare cancers, too.”

Another notable connection of the two families, Kristin Zastoupil and David Spurgeon are both employed by Forney ISD. Kristin is the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications with FISD, and David is an algebra teacher and tennis coach for North Forney High School. “Our district has been absolutely fantastic,” says David. “We are all so grateful for FISD’s support.” Brendan Zastoupil’s position at the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department has been an enormous source of support for their family as well. And Kathryn Spurgeon is also an educator, formerly with FISD and now employed by Garland ISD. Her district has allowed her to continue teaching her classes 100% virtually, which she does from Elyse’s hospital room. When asked about their strengths during such a difficult situation, both sets of parents have pointed to the flexibility and support between themselves and their respective spouses. Life has become one big balancing act for both families – juggling time at the hospital, time at work, and time with their younger children. “We make a really good team,” Kristin says of herself and her husband.

True to form, Forney has rallied around these families over the last few months and continues to do so. There have been student-led fundraisers at Warren Middle School, countless encouraging cards and gifts, and an outpouring of financial support through Elyse’s GoFundMe (https://gf.me/u/ywzq83) and Bryton’s fund hosted by Forney Community Ministries (forneycommunity.org). On Elyse’s 14th birthday, she received an amazing surprise – the Warren Middle School Cheerleaders performed a cheer and wished her a happy birthday from the top of the parking garage visible through her window! Bryton’s Boy Scout Unit has mowed the family’s yard, and both families have had meals provided and many necessities purchased for them through their Amazon Wishlists. The value of these seemingly simple acts of support is not lost on either family. “A minister that I know well told me that at this time right now, I have to let my pride leave,” David admits. “The outpouring of love and messages from the community itself is just humbling.” Kristin agrees, “We have coworkers and friends who have become family now.”

Bryton and Elyse’s battles are, unfortunately, far from over. But both young adults are making the best of the cards they’ve been dealt. Elyse enjoys Zoom calls from her hospital room with her friends and nightly FaceTime calls with her little brother and whichever parent is not at the hospital with her. Kristin says, “We use a lot of humor in our family.” So naturally, Bryton, who has recently been able to come back home during treatment, has been entertaining himself with games with his family, time spent with his younger brother Kolton, and an ample supply of jokes and sarcasm. And, of course, both middle schoolers are continuing on with their daily schoolwork, including many advanced courses, through virtual lessons and help from parents. Looking ahead, Bryton is ready to get back to his pursuit of tennis and the activities of the Boy Scouts, and Elyse is looking forward to attending more concerts and just spending time with her friends.

On the Facebook page dedicated to Bryton’s Battle, Kristin recently said, “Our hearts ache for what he’s facing, but we are in awe of his resilience, positive attitude & fighter spirit. Most adults we know can’t do what we’re watching him do on a daily basis. It’s changing us as much as it’s changing him.” The same could be said about Elyse, a beautiful warrior, as she too is stronger than leukemia.

To follow the journeys of these brave Forney residents or to support their families, search Facebook for “Elyse’s Warrior Journey” and “Bryton’s Battle”.