A little perspective

9-year-old Portage girl is diagnosed with third type of cancer

PORTAGE, Wis. (AP) -- A 9-year-old Portage girl who has had cancer for more than half her life just found out she has a third type of cancer.

Emily Miller was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2002, overcame it in 2005 and was in remission until April of last year when she was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma.

She was excited to finish chemotherapy this August.

But after recent routine labs, doctors told the family that Emily has acute myeloid leukemia. It's a cancer that starts inside bone marrow and develops quickly.

Her father Cory Miller says Emily told him she didn't want to die. She says she has about 10 fights left in her.

Emily will be in the hospital for the next five weeks, and then there is a possibility of a bone marrow transplant to give her body some healthy tissue.

Cory and Jen Miller have both been tested as possible bone marrow donors, along with Emily's seven-year-old brother.

One of my 8-year-old’s classmates was diagnosed with leukemia recently. If ever I need a little perspective on my version of a bad day, that does it for me right there.