Arizona Teenager McKindree Patton Freezes Eggs Ahead Of Chemotherapy

An Arizona teenager McKindree Patton made the decision to freeze her eggs, prior to undergoing chemotherapy.

A few years ago, 16-year-old Patton was diagnosed with a rare form of bone marrow failure that causes her red and white blood cells to not function properly.

Last year, McKnidree underwent a bone marrow transplant that required the use of chemotherapy, a treatment that could have possibly left her infertile. While having kids was the furthest thing from her mind, McKindree’s parents wanted her to have the option to have a family if she ever chose to do so. Therefore, her father came up with the idea to freeze her eggs.

“My husband had come to me months prior before going to get a transplant and said I just have the strongest feeling that we need to give McKindree the choice to have a family if she chooses to,” Aimee Patton, McKindree’s mother, told Fox 10.

Patton was unsure about the procedure, but a friend close to the family, who had gone through chemo convinced her to do it.

“[The family friend] She said, ‘McKindree, this is something you don’t want to pass up on, even ten years down the road if you choose that course, at least you’ll have an option,’ ” said Aimee.

Aimee said the option to freeze McKindree’s eggs gave her hope for the future and a reason to fight.

“When you’re sick, you’re inundated with the mentality that life could be cut short,” she told Yahoo Parenting. “But when you’re 16, do you really get that? Deciding whether to freeze her eggs allowed McKindree to look to the future.”

“It let her think, ‘At some point this may be over’,” she added. “There is hope that I can do something that I’ve always wanted to do. And that’s be a mother.”

The procedure and the drugs cost upwards of $20,000, and to help pay for it, a non-profit group of mothers who help families with children facing life-threatening illness called Angel Mamas stepped in.

“Instantly we were connected with the founder Shira, who really changed the course of McKindree’s life,” Aimee said.

“We hadn’t had a request like that, but something about it obviously really touched us all,” said Shira Nicks. The group took to Facebook and was able to raise $5,000 in just three days. Because her chemotherapy treatment was urgent, Patton underwent emergency egg retrieval at Boston IVF in Scottsdale.

“Knowing that her eggs were stored, potentially as an adult she has a chance she can use those eggs, and have a family brings a lot of peace, and it gives her hope for the future,” said Aimee.

McKindree is doing better, but still takes 23 medications a day. However, lately she had been focusing on a major milestone in her life — the prom!

“Right now, it’s everything to her,” Aimee said, prior to the event that took place on May 2. “She has a flair for fashion and we even got to go shopping at the mall for her dress and a cute hat. All she can talk about is where they are going to take pictures. She’s so excited.”

[Photo via CaringBridge]