The Schleman family relish a day together. Shown, left to right, are Addison, Paige, mom Kim, sister Bree, dad Ryan, and Samuel.
Eleven-year-old Samuel Schleman loved working alongside his father, Ryan, on their family farm outside of Lafayette, Indiana. He especially enjoyed riding with him on the tractor in the fields. Recalling the day Sam dozed off on the tractor, his mom, Kim, reflected, “That was completely out of character.”
But when he began showing troubling symptoms—pale skin, fatigue, and disinterest in the farm—his parents, Ryan and Kim, grew deeply worried.
A trip to their local hospital turned their concern into panic when doctors sent them by ambulance to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. There, Samuel was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a rare and life-threatening condition in which the immune system attacks bone marrow, halting blood cell production. This diagnosis marked the start of a very difficult journey.
Samuel started immunosuppressive therapy, which required the family to make a three-hour round trip from their home in Wolcott to Indianapolis three times a week. This exhausting routine stretched from October to January, but Samuel’s condition remained dire. “He experienced constant bleeding from his gums. He still looked bad. He couldn’t sleep, and we couldn’t leave him alone,” Ryan said.
When treatment failed, doctors moved forward with a bone marrow transplant. Samuel was admitted to Riley Hospital for intense chemotherapy and radiation and was hospitalized for three weeks for the transplant. After being discharged, Samuel was required to remain near the hospital for 100 days while he recovered. This presented the tremendous challenge of finding a place for their family to stay for so long. That’s when a hospital social worker connected them to Fair Haven.
The Schleman Family was one of the first families to stay at Nancy’s Place. The three-bedroom home was the perfect space for Samuel, his parents, and his three younger sisters, Addison, Bree and Paige, with plenty of room for them all to be together. Its privacy also provided a safe, serene environment, essential for Samuel’s fragile immune system.
Kim praised the home’s tranquil setting, where Samuel was able to play outdoors without fear of exposure to germs. “The house allowed him to ride his bike and enjoy the backyard,” she said. On the weekends, Ryan and their daughters visited so they could spend time together. “I’m thankful Fair Haven let us stay at this house,” Samuel told us. Reflecting on their journey, Kim expressed her gratitude and shared, “Nancy’s Place truly was a refuge in our storm.”
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