At 15, Rosemary led a typical teen’s life—high school, homework, hanging out with friends—until the fall of 2019. In November, she began feeling very fatigued, and her vision was plagued with dark spots.

But it was the two fainting episodes—one at school—that caused her mom Keiko to take her to Boston Children’s Emergency Department on Dec. 11. She arrived around 6 pm. By midnight Rosemary had a diagnosis: leukemia. The hospital staff immediately admitted her.

“I’d been really confused by the tiredness and the fainting spells,” Rosemary recalls. “I was almost relieved to finally have a diagnosis.” Several days later, the results of a bone marrow test came in, giving Rosemary a more specific diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

“Everything’s going to be OK” But the information that gave Rosemary clarity sent her mom, Keiko, into a tailspin.

“There was so much going on I couldn’t think straight,” Keiko says. “I was trying to take in my daughter’s diagnosis and stay by her side at the hospital while trying to figure out who was taking Rosemary’s brothers to school and other logistics.” But she does remember the moment when Alexandra “Ally” Bagley-Jones arrived on the scene. Ally, one of the One Mission Resource Room’s community resource coordinators, managed to calm the overwhelmed mom.

“I was in a panic,” Keiko says, “but Ally was super nice and she just kept saying, ‘Everything’s going to be OK.’”

During Rosemary’s three hospitalizations, she and Keiko became very familiar with both the pre-COVID One Mission Resource Room activities and the COVID era’s redesigned versions.

Rosemary sporting one of her favorite Noodle Caboodle hats.

Rosemary sings the lyrics to Queen’s 1974 hit “Queen Killer” while music therapist Mark Fuller Jr. accompanies her on the guitar.

Music for every need and mood

Before the pandemic, Rosemary enjoyed in-person music therapy sessions, each one tailored to fit her medical, developmental, and emotional needs at that moment.

For instance, when Rosemary had more energy, board-certified music therapist Mark Fuller Jr., who is trained in neurologic music therapy, would accompany her on the guitar as she sang her favorite throwback ‘70s and ‘80s songs.

Later, after Rosemary had gone through a bone marrow transplant, she says, “I was really tired, so Mark would play his guitar or another instrument without singing. It was relaxing.”

So relaxing, in fact, that at times when Rosemary had trouble falling asleep, Mark would help her by playing gentle, lulling songs that delivered her into dreamland.

Jewelry joy

Other stress reducers for both Rosemary and Keiko were the jewelry-making classes. Pre-COVID, an instructor would come to the One Mission Resource Room and teach interested patients and family members how to make key chains and earrings.

“That really clicked for me,” Keiko says. “It was so much fun!” Later, after the hospital implemented COVID-related restrictions, the classes went virtual, taking place over the popular videoconferencing platform Zoom.

One such class was led by Heather Alexandre, the One Mission Resource Room’s patient and family educator. “She taught us how to do beading,” Keiko recalls. “Making jewelry was something we could do together and something I did on my own to relieve stress.”

Heather teaches a virtual beading class. Inset of a small part of Keiko’s collection of handmade jewelry made during Rosemary’s hospitalizations.

Keiko and Rosemary enjoying a Thursday Caregiver Lunch.

One Mission-provided meals

Mom and daughter also looked forward to the One Mission-provided meals, from Caregiver Lunches on Thursdays and Taco Tuesdays to Halal offerings. In addition to providing precious nutrition and good taste, the One Mission meals took one more thing off of Keiko’s plate.

“It was such a relief not having to worry about what I would have to buy for dinner and knowing there was always something that Rosemary enjoyed,” Keiko says.