Six-year-old Brooke Fields stands brave in struggle with leukemia

MADISON – As a kindergartner, Brooke Fields liked running around, jumping, playing and going to school at Mill Creek Elementary like her fellow five-year-olds. However, the Fields family’s entire lives changed in one day.

Brooke’s mother, Beaonica Fields, took Brooke for a standard, follow-up doctor’s appointment. Brooke did not have many typical, outward symptoms of leukemia, such as petechiae (tiny spots of bleeding), enlarged lymph nodes, bruising or fever. Her main symptoms were persistent puffiness/swelling around her eyes, a lingering cough and fatigue.

“At first, we thought Brooke might have a sinus infection or allergies, so she was prescribed antibiotics and allergy medicine. After about 10 days, her cough had resolved, but her eyes were still puffy; nothing seemed to be helping,” Beaonica said.

“I became really concerned, so we took her back to the pediatrician. We’re so grateful that her pediatrician listened to our concerns and ordered blood work immediately. Brooke’s white blood cell count was extremely elevated,” Beaonica said.

Brooke then went to the pediatric emergency department for additional blood work, chest X-ray and chest ultrasound. The X-ray revealed a large mediastinal mass, a hallmark feature for her diagnosis. However, the mass wasn’t ob- vious from Brooke’s outward appearance.

“Brooke was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) in January 2026,” Beaonica said. “It was all so unexpected. We had no idea how sick Brooke was.”

While Brooke was in the ER, St. Jude Oncology Team at Huntsville Hospital was consulted; Brooke was immediately referred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

St. Jude personnel said to expect a three-month stay minimum. They went home, packed their bags and departed Madison that night. By that evening, Brooke was on an ambulance headed to St. Jude and arrived that night to begin treatment.

“Brooke’s diagnosis really showed us how important it is to listen to your instincts as a parent and advocate for your child,” Beaonica said.

The Fields family wants residents to realize that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. They hope Brooke’s story will heighten awareness about childhood cancer to individuals.

Brooke was admitted to St. Jude on Jan. 19 and stayed for almost four months. Brooke immediately received chemotherapy. Her treatment included IV chemotherapy, oral chemotherapy and lumbar punctures with intrathecal chemotherapy. Initially, she had a PICC line and later had a port for ongoing treatments.

The Fields returned home on May 3 and are continuing treatment with the St. Jude affiliate clinic in Huntsville.

“During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we hope Brooke’s story can help educate our community about childhood cancer, encourage parents to trust their instincts and remind everyone that behind every diagnosis is a child and a family fighting together,” Beaonica said.

“Overall, Brooke has responded well to her chemotherapy treatment. Her mediastinal mass decreased significantly within the first couple of weeks of chemotherapy,” Beaonica said. “After four weeks of treatment, Brooke was MRD (Minimal Residual Disease) negative, meaning the testing detected no measurable residual leukemia. This encouraging milestone was a very good indicator of her response to therapy and long-term prognosis.”

However, Brooke’s status of MRD negative doesn’t mean her fight is over. “Brooke has to continue treatment for approximately 2.5 years to reduce risk of relapse and leukemia returning,” Beaonica said.

Currently, Brooke cannot return to school in person. “She is immunocompromised and still receiving intense chemotherapy treatment,” Beaonica said. “Brooke receives Homebound School Services through Madison City Schools so that she can continue her education while receiving treatment.”

Brooke is now a first-grader at Russell Branch Elementary School. “We’re hopeful she can return to school in person this school year,” Beaonica said. “Brooke is really looking forward to going back to school, meeting her classmates, learning and experiencing school like a typical first-grader again.”

“We’re incredibly grateful to have a St. Jude affiliate clinic nearby in Huntsville, which allows her to continue receiving the specialized care she needs without having to travel back to Memphis for every treatment,” Beaonica said.

Brooke continues to receive the chemotherapies that she started at St. Jude, along with frequent monitoring of blood counts. She also receives medications to help manage side effects and support her throughout treatment.

Brooke is in ‘month nine’ of her 2.5year treatment journey. “We still have a long road ahead of us. Having the St. Jude affiliate clinic in Huntsville has made it possible for us to continue this journey closer to home while still receiving care through St. Jude,” Beaonica said.

In her own words, Brooke said, “Thank you so much for all of the cards, care packages and get-well wishes. I can’t wait to go back to school to see my friends and learn with my classmates. I am staying Brave and Strong!”

Beaonica is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or CRNA at Huntsville Hospital. Husband Brandon Fields works as a software engineer. Their five-yearold daughter Brielle is a kindergartner at Russell Branch Elementary.

Brooke’s nickname is ‘Brooke the Brave,’ and her little sister Brielle’s nickname is ‘Brielle the Bright.’ They’re only 18 months apart and have always been incredibly close and best friends.

For those first four months, the Fields stayed together as a family in Memphis, thanks to St. Jude’s housing, transportation, meals and other resources. “We’re forever grateful to St. Jude for taking care of our entire family and continuing to support us throughout Brooke’s journey,” Beaonica said.

“While we were at St. Jude, Brooke was incredibly brave and strong, while Brielle provided the bright light, laughter and fun energy our family needed to get through those difficult days,” Beaonica said. “We truly believe having her sister and our entire family together provided Brooke with so much emotional support and comfort.”

The Fields invite their community to join the St. Jude Walk/Run to End Childhood Cancer at Big Spring Park in Huntsville on Sept. 26 at 9 a.m. “This will be our first year participating. We would absolutely love to have our community join us as we walk together in support of Brooke and other children battling childhood cancer,” Beaonica said.

For the walk, their team name is “Brooke the Brave.” “St. Jude became an important part of our family’s journey, providing care for Brooke and support for our entire family,” Beaonica said.