According to the American Cancer Society, the main treatment for childhood leukemia is chemotherapy. For children who have higher risk for leukemia, chemotherapy is given along with stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy can only potentially treat ALL and AML cases. Chemotherapy is most successful in ALL where 50% of cases are cured. CML and CLL do not respond well to chemotherapeutic drugs. The main drawback of chemotherapy drugs is that it kills both normal and cancer cells. There may also be setbacks when cancer cells recur despite treatment. The main medications used in chemotherapy are cytarabine and anthracycline. Cytarabine works by disturbing the DNA synthesis of healthy and cancer cells. Therefore, new cell production is put to a halt. Anthracycline damages DNA proteins and disrupts DNA synthesis of healthy and leukemia cells. A healthy donor's stem cell can be transplanted into a leukemia patient by way of the bone marrow. In this way, new multipotent stem cells encourage the growth of new, healthy blood cells. Bone marrow is the only stem cell transplant source without controversy. Other stem cell sources (such as embryos) are met with mixed opinions in the medical field. This is a special type of diet which aims to protect the patient from foods that harbor bacteria and potentially cause infection. The blood cells of patients are not well-equipped to ward off infection efficiently. Some basic tips to follow for neutropenic diet are: Avoid fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Bacteria may be present in the skin and leaves. Fruits that can be peeled off such as banana, grapefruit, and oranges are safe to eat. Cooked vegetables, canned fruits and vegetables, and juices are safe for consumption. Always cook the meat and fish well-done. This ensures that no potential threat such as Salmonella can infect a patient. Consume only pasteurized dairy products. Pasteurization is the gold standard of eliminating harmful substances in dairy products. Avoid salad bars, deli counters, and sashimi counters. Opt for cooked food all the time. Make sure that water is safe for drinking. Distilled, boiled, reverse osmosis or filtered water is advisable.

Summary: Put your child through chemotherapy. Sign your child up for a stem cell transplant. Put your child on a neutropenic diet.

Maybe you both love shooting hoops, or you're both really good at soccer. Why not try out for the team? Being active together can cause a strong bond to form. If joining the team doesn't work for you, grab a couple of friends and cheer on your school at the next game! Your crush may notice you in the stands and appreciate your support. Most schools have plenty of afterschool activities that you can join. If your crush is a member of a club you're interested in too, go ahead and sign up! This will give the two of you plenty to talk about. As a bonus, extracurricular activities look great on a college application. If your crush is on the yearbook staff and you love photography, consider asking if you can take candid photos of students and teachers for the yearbook. This works both ways - if you're a member of the Drama Club and you find out your crush loves old movies, invite them to join the club with you! Only join a club that you're actually interested in; don't just join a club because your crush is in it. You'll be embarrassed when the rest of the club finds out you don't actually know the rules of chess, for instance, or the difference between latex and acrylic paints. Having friends in common means you and your crush will be more likely to spend time around each other, since you'll be hanging out in the same group. You'll also have more to talk about when the rest of your friends aren't around. Start by talking to any friends the two of you have in common. See if you can get invited to a party or an after-school study session where your crush might be. As you get to know your crush's friends, you're more likely to be included in the same activities as them. If you notice one of your crush's friends sitting alone, go over and strike up a conversation. Not only is this likely to help get you closer to your crush, but you might just make a good friend in the process. . Once you find yourself around your crush, try to strike up a conversation to see what you have in common. If you're still feeling shy, send them a friend request on social media and see what you're both into. Think about some questions you can ask your crush before you talk to each other. Ask what kind of music your crush likes. What kind of TV and movies do they watch? Have they traveled to any of the same places as you? Do you both like the same subjects in school? Do they do any work for charities after school? The more you have to talk about, the more time you're likely to spend around each other.

Summary: Join the same sports team. Become a member of the same extracurriculars. Hang out with the same people. Start a conversation

Again, this part just means that her friends aren't breathing down your neck. See if you can get her to talk to you right after school, at a birthday party, or some place where you can steal a few minutes alone with her, like a school dance. Try not to ask her before school or she might still be tired and it could be awkward if she says no and then you have to be near her the whole day. Try asking her at recess. That's a popular time for guys to ask girls out. Again the tricky part will be trying to separate her from her friends. If you want the girl to say yes, she has to think you know what you're talking about. Don't get too nervous, stutter, fidget, kick your feet, or look at the floor. Look her in the eyes and smile. Make her think that you're totally comfortable talking to her so that she feels more comfortable, too. Walk right up to her, wave, and say, "Hi." You can practice this move in front of the mirror to feel more confident. Remember that the worst thing that can happen is that she can say no. That won't be the end of the world, will it? You should say just a few things before you jump in and ask her out. Saying, "Hi, will you go out with me?" probably won't go over well. You should just say something like, "How are you?" "How was your day?" or "Are you doing anything fun after school?" And maybe tell her a thing or two about what you've been up to before you make your move. This will make her feel more comfortable and will hint at what is coming. You can think of one thing to tell her or one thing to ask her in advance so you feel more comfortable when the time comes. Compliment her or just tell her that you really like her and say, "Do you want to go out with me?" It's as simple as that. You can practice this in front of the mirror to get more comfortable, too. You shouldn't be hanging out with her for more than a few minutes without asking her or she'll start to get confused. Just take a deep breath, look her in the eyes, and spit it out. You'll feel much better once you finally ask her. Read her body language. Is she moving closer to you, smiling, and acting a little nervous? If so, then she's more likely to say yes. There are two things that will happen: either she says yes or she says no. If she says yes, then that's great! Let her know how happy you are without acting too over-excited and maybe give her a little hug if you know each other pretty well. Then, you can suggest the place where you'd like to go and start planning your next moves. If she says no, keep your head up and thank her for talking to you and being nice anyway. Don't resort to name calling or be mean or she won't have any respect for you. Be a good sport about it and start thinking about your next crush.
Summary: Get her (somewhat) alone. Be confident. Talk to her a little bit. Cut to the chase. React the right way no matter what.