Last summer, Jacob  was a very typical 4-year-old boy. He loved to ride his training wheel-equipped bike with his friends. Since some of them were older and rode without training wheels, Jacob became a very fast little biker.

One day, last August, Jacob took quite a fall; luckily he was wearing his helmet. One of his training wheels bounced against the curb, sending Jacob and his bike to the ground! After hugs from his mom, Heather, and no evidence of blood or anything more than a couple of bumps, Jacob climbed back on his bike and was off. Following dinner and some television at his grandma's house, Jacob and Heather went home to bed. But, Jacob woke up a few times during the night and was in pain, his legs were stiff and hurt.

After a few frustrating days of Heather trying to convince doctors that there was something wrong with Jacob, followed by an ambulance trip to Rapid City, S.D., x-rays, MRIs, and complete blood work, he was diagnosed with a lower spine contusion. Heather remembers thinking it was nice to know that all of his blood work was completely normal. Jacob recovered with time and rest and was soon back to normal.

The bike accident proved to be almost a dress rehearsal for what was to follow. In mid-September, Heather noticed that Jacob was paler than normal and had lost his appetite. However, after a few days, Jacob again seemed fine. The same thing happened about a month later, but again quickly resolved itself.

Around the first of November, it happened again. This time, Heather noticed that his glands were swollen, he had a sore throat and his armpits hurt; again he was pale. Heather made an appointment with the first doctor available at Jacob's clinic and Jacob was diagnosed with strep throat. He was given a 10-day course of amoxicillin.

Unfortunately, Jacob's condition didn't change. His stomach began to hurt, which his doctor believed was caused by the flu, and he was bruising and losing weight.

Heather believed that the doctors were dismissing Jacob's symptoms so, to be seen again, she called for a well-child appointment. This time, the doctor examined Jacob while listening carefully to Heather described his condition during the past few months. The doctor ordered blood work. As often happens, Jacob was quite peppy on that day and was glad to go have a hamburger and then play in the halls of the hospital while they waited for the results of the blood tests.

The results indicated that Jacob's white blood count was very high and his other counts were low. The doctor told Heather that it was either a very bad virus or leukemia. She also said that she had called Dr. Joe Neglia in Minneapolis and that a plane was being sent to bring Jacob and Heather to the University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview. And, no, they really shouldn't go home and try to pack. Heather knew she had to say something to Jacob to explain why they were suddenly taking an airplane ride. She asked him if he would go on "an adventure" with her on an airplane.

The day after arriving at the hospital, Jacob was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Emily, the child-family life specialist on 5B, explained to Jacob, in a way that he could understand, that his blood was sick. And Heather learned terms she didn't know existed. Before the diagnosis, she had equated cancer with death, but now she knows that isn't so.

Jacob is in remission and he has started his protocol. Heather will learn to give him some of his meds. Life has changed, but both Heather and Jacob have adapted and are looking forward to returning home to receive further treatment. In the meantime, they are living their "adventure" together, but Heather is determined to try having fun every day. She loves Jacob's positive attitude. "He has this huge deep giggle that just doesn't stop," she says. "He just has a good time."

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