Murray mother gives back to Lymphoma patients

By Karyn Anderson

What a difference seven years can make. To ask Amy Moore, seven years can change lives.

In 2005, Moore and her husband, Dusten, residents of Murray, were expecting their first child. At 29 weeks, she suddenly went into labor, and her 3 lb-4 oz.. son Tyler was born. With myriad complications, he was kept in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at St. Mark’s Hospital for 52 days. Moore spent days and nights at the hospital. When Tyler was two weeks old, she awoke to a large mass on her neck.

“I had no idea what it was; I only knew that I couldn’t breathe, and that my neck was so swollen,” She said, so she went to the doctor. “I thought I had an infection, so I was leaving a message for the obstetrician, but the nurse took one look at me and had me go to the labor and delivery room where my doctor was. He sent me to an ENT, who sent me to have an ultrasound, which lead to a biopsy.” The diagnosis was a level-two lymphoma.

When her son was one month old, Moore began chemotherapy. This was extra challenging, because she was unable to see her newborn.“Tyler had his own roller coaster ride,” she said. During this time, Moore managed, “with the help of wonderful family and a great husband,” to keep her dance studio afloat, teaching classes on a week-on, week-off basis. She wanted to show her students that even with grim circumstances, she could still be upbeat.

“This was a great learning experience for me,” she said. “I had to learn to ask for help, which was really difficult for me. That first year, with massive medical expenses, my students provided Christmas for us, because they knew we needed the help.”

Four years later, the Moores welcomed a daughter, Lillyan, and in the summer of 2011, Moore was given a clean bill of health. Every year, she does a pajama drive for kids in need, and takes her students to the NICU to deliver pajamas for the preemies and babies who need extra help.

Moore is also part of a mentoring program which matches new patients with former patients suffering from the same symptoms. She recognizes that there are people whose problems are worse than hers were, and encourages people live every moment, to be aware of others and pay it forward, “because you never know what is around the corner.”

Light the Night, a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, recognized Moore as an “Honored Recipient of 2012.”