Family shares its good news

COEUR d'ALENE - The last time Press readers heard from Linsey Sowinski, she faced a possible bone marrow transplant and her newborn daughter wasn't able to fight infections on her own.

Sowinski had gone through pregnancy while receiving cancer treatments at the same time, and the future was uncertain for them both.

As it turned out, Sowinski, who is now 35 and lives in Hayden with her family, didn't need a bone marrow transplant and she currently is in remission, she told The Press this week. And there's plenty of other positive news.

In October last year, with the go-ahead from her oncologist, Sowinski became pregnant again and delivered a second child, a baby boy on July 9.

"I received my most recent scan later in July, which showed that my mass continues to shrink," said Sowinski, formerly Linsey Mattison, a Coeur d'Alene High School graduate and lawyer.

Now she goes for blood work every six months until she reaches the point of being five years post-treatment, at which time she will be considered healed if her cancer has not recurred.

In September 2012, The Press reported how Sowinski had in late 2011 been diagnosed with lymphoma while pregnant and had to undergo chemotherapy with her baby still developing inside her belly.

Sowinski and her husband, Scott, had their daughter, Lena, in May 2012.

But Lena, now 2, was unable to fight off infections initially due to a low B-cell count after exposure to chemotherapy. Linsey said infections in Lena's gastrointestinal tract caused problems.

After her B-cell count normalized, she continued to have severe pain and vomiting.

"It was excruciating for our family to watch her in so much pain and her care providers struggled to find the cause," Sowinski said.

A year later, after more hospital stays, numerous pokes and blood draws, a feeding tube, magnetic resonance imaging, and scope procedure, the family finally knew the culprit, she said.

"Lena had developed a ring of scar tissue from the inflammation in her GI tract that nearly blocked her bowel movements," Sowinski said.

Lena underwent surgery in December of last year, and followed up with five weeks of daily dilations to stretch the ring, Sowinski said.

"She takes medication daily to help with her bowel movements and is doing much better now," Sowinksi said.

Sowinski knows how fortunate her family has been.

After Sowinski and her family were featured on the "Today Show" for being pregnant and undergoing cancer treatment just after getting married, the mother-in-law of a young woman in Michigan contacted her.

The young woman had the same type of cancer and underwent the same chemotherapy while pregnant.

"She did not have radiation like I did, and her disease spread," Sowinski said. "Every update I received from her family affected me deeply, and sadly, she passed away last month after a bone marrow transplant and participation in an experimental trial failed."

During stays at Sacred Heart Medical Center's children's hospital in Spokane on the pediatric oncology floor and general pediatric floor, her family saw first-hand all that the hospital does for families.

"We utilized the facilities provided at the hospital and saw other families benefit as well," Linsey said. "We wanted to support the charity."

Scott Sowinski, now 32, thought of raising money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities while doing a fun run and posted a notice on Facebook about receiving pledges.

Kimber Gates Travis, owner of Coeur d'Alene Cellars, saw the post and offered to help. The Sowinskis were married at Coeur d'Alene Cellars on Sept. 3, 2011.

That contact led to the founding of the family's annual fundraiser, "Sip to Support" the Ronald McDonald House Charities. This year's event starts at 5:30 p.m., Sept. 18.

From Coeur d'Alene Cellars' donation of 10 percent of all sales and raffle ticket sales, more than $6,000 was raised for the charity in 2012. Last year, about half of that was raised.

"We'd like to amp up marketing this year," Sowinski said. "It's important for the local community to understand that even though the charity is Ronald McDonald House Charities of Spokane, the people in our community and other North Idaho communities greatly benefit."

• Fundraiser is Sept. 18

The "Sip to Support" the Ronald McDonald House Charities event is 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at Coeur d'Alene Cellars, 3890 N. Schreiber Way.

All ages are welcome, and there is no cover charge.

Attendees can expect beer and wine specials, and 10 percent of sales go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. There will be live music from Chris Haas, a raffle and a silent auction in a casual and relaxed atmosphere.