Monday, May 28, 2007

Amazing Story


Kate loves to draw pictures for everyone and especially ones depicting outdoor scenes. Each time we have gone to the hospital, she has drawn a picture for her doctor in which he is standing among flowers of various types. This past week she drew him standing on the grass with a large purple flower next to him. She then asked me how to spell the name of the flower, VINCA. Jason turned to me and asked if she made up that name or if there really was a flower named a Vinca. (I am happy to say that I did in fact know that there was a flowering Vinca plant).
When Kate gave Dr. Keller the picture, his jaw dropped. He asked us if we knew that her chemotherapy drug, vincristine, was derived from the vinca plant. We had no idea! Kind of an amazing story for 2 reasons - 1. What other 4 year old child do you know draws pictures of vinca blossoms? 2. What other child do you know can draw a picture of a plant that is saving her life!

7 comments:

Kasey said...

Wow! What a neat story! Thanks for shraring it. I have purple flowering vinca in my front yard, and now I'll think of Kate every time I see it. :)

Kasey

the andersons said...

Wow.... amazing.

Anonymous said...

Again, she is just too cute. Kate will LOVE telling that story forever, and so will Dr. Keller!

Tracy said...

That is an excellent story!!!

BIGSKYBLAST said...

Out of the mouths of babes!

P.S. I LOVE Vincas (now I know WHY!) they were all over the underbrush the whole length of the road in The Oaks when I grew up. Now people PLANT THEM! They just grew wild then.

Craig said...

Very, very cool.

Anonymous said...

Another name for Vinca is periwinkle - a favorite of mine too! I think I will plant some in my yard in honor of Kate!!
-Sarah W