The McKnight family was enjoying a beach vacation with their then three-year-old daughter, Evelyn. The fun stopped when they noticed their daughter had a protrusion under the skin below her shoulder blade, along her ribcage.
Evelyn’s parents, Kevin and Jessica, took their daughter to the hospital where doctors performed medical tests, including computerized tomography scans and X-rays. The diagnosis? Wilms tumor, one of the most common childhood cancers. Within days, the lump was surgically removed.
“It was a very emotional time for our family,” says Kevin McKnight.
Doctors, who also removed one of Evelyn’s kidneys, said the surgery was successful and that it was unlikely the cancer would come back. Evelyn proceeded to undergo a full year of chemotherapy as a part of her treatment.
In recovery
It’s been three years since Evelyn’s diagnosis. Despite a scar on her stomach and regular appointments with her doctor, she’s now cancer-free and the family is doing everything to keep the girl healthy.
That’s why they’re committed to making sure the indoor air quality (IAQ) in their home is the best it can be.
“We were determined to make sure there was nothing in the air that was going to hurt her,” says Jessica McKnight. “We don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
Healthy home
When their daughter’s cancer was diagnosed, the family had recently purchased an older, two-story colonial home in North Carolina.
“We were already sensitive to the quality of the air and that concern only grew given Evelyn’s condition,” says Jessica, noting the previous owners had dogs. So, in an effort to improve air quality, the McKnights have installed a whole-home IAQ solution that has controller, ventilation, filtration and purification components.
The system’s fresh air dampers automatically open when the system needs fresh air. Outside air is then filtered, purified and tempered before entering the home. This way, the system ensures that pollen, dust and dander are trapped outside, while germs, bacteria and mold are neutralized.
Now, thanks in part to the McKnights’ focus on air quality, not only is Evelyn recovering well, but they’ve minimized the effect of spring allergies in their home.
