Eleonor Pruitt fourteen years old of Twin Falls, Idaho is now a cellist that has big ambitions for her future. She is now coming up on her two year mark, October 1, of being cancer free. She is a cellist who was inspired to play because of her brother Walter, and wants to continue playing for the rest of her life. Eleonor hopes to become a lawyer at a young age. To achieve this, she has enrolled in the 8in6 program, in the Twin Falls School District. The program is for students who want to attain there Associates Degree when they graduate High School. She is coming up on her freshmen year in high school and is very excited about it! Eleonor was inspired to accomplish these goals after she was diagnosed with Lymphoma at the age of ten.
Eleonor was an interject soccer player who just moved to Idaho. She was always healthy before and never sick. Then her stomach started to hurt and her neck was swollen, which lead to many doctor visits at St. Luke’s. The doctors diagnosed her with Mono and this made her restricted to any physical activity, so eventually she had to quit soccer. Eleonor had Mono for two months and was not any getting better. She then revisited St. Luke’s and was diagnosed with stage four T-cell Lymphoblastoma on May 30, 2011. Treatment started that week along with surgery for a port. She took chemotherapy through IV’s, shots, and pills; it was not a fun time. Eleonor is eternally great full for the compassion skill and expertise demonstrated by Mountain State Tumor Institute (MSTI) and the children's hospital in Boise. They made her feel like she was there only patient. From routine check-ups, to back pokes, to comfort doing treatment, they went above and beyond the call of duty. Staff and care givers made her feel like family and made the worst of times bearable. The staff where assuring as they guided her family through the financial aspect of her treatments. Without St. Luke’s the journey might have been more difficult. The Pruitt family is thankful for the care that was given and is grateful that Eleonor is healthy again.
– Article written especially for KTM by Eleonor and Joy Pruitt
Watch her story: