CLINTON — What began as a summer of birthday balloons and ballet recitals quickly unraveled into a fight for life — one that 3-year-old Berkley Dearman never saw coming, and one her family will never forget.
“She had just celebrated her third birthday,” recalls her mother, Katie Dearman, a beloved teacher at Silliman Institute. “We were looking forward to her first dance recital. But that morning, she had a fever of 105. We rushed to the ER.”
At first, doctors believed Berkley was battling two common, but aggressive viral infections: CMV and mono. It was difficult, but treatable. Or so they thought.
Within days, her condition worsened. She was admitted to Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, and soon after, doctors began considering a far more serious diagnosis: HLH — Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.
“I had never heard of HLH before,” Katie said, her voice trembling. “I Googled it. And the words I saw were ‘rare’ and ‘life-threatening.’ That’s all I needed to read.”
HLH is a severe systemic inflammatory syndrome, where the body’s immune system essentially goes haywire, attacking healthy tissue. It’s so rare and difficult to diagnose that doctors rely on a checklist of eight criteria. Berkley matched all eight.
She was immediately airlifted to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
“They had to sedate and intubate her for the flight. We had no idea how bad it was until we arrived at St. Jude. They met us in the hallway, told us there was no time to talk. She was in respiratory failure and shock. For two hours, they fought just to keep her alive.”
Katie did what only a mother can do in such a moment: she turned to prayer. And then, she asked others to do the same.
“It was a Sunday. I remember thinking, it’s church day. Let’s get the word out. Every church I know of — not just in Louisiana, but across the country — was on their knees praying for my baby.”
Within 12 hours, Berkley’s vitals stabilized. A miracle, her family says, born out of the hands of skilled doctors and the power of unified prayer.
But the battle was far from over.
Over the next week, Berkley would face a pulmonary hemorrhage, dangerously swollen intestines, and surgery to remove nearly 50 centimeters of her colon and intestines — plus her appendix. She also developed MRSA, a dangerous bacterial infection that entered her bloodstream and lungs.
“She was just starting to improve, her HLH numbers were looking better,” Katie said. “And then, MRSA. That could’ve taken her life right there.”
Now nearly two months into her hospital stay, Berkley is off the ventilator. Awake. Alert. Learning to move her body again with the help of physical and occupational therapy. She’s smiling again — slowly, cautiously — but still tethered to monitors, waiting on one final test that could determine the next chapter of her journey.
Doctors are now testing whether Berkley’s HLH is primary or secondary.
- Primary HLH is genetic — a lifelong condition requiring a bone marrow transplant.
- Secondary HLH is triggered by infections, like CMV or mono. It can often be treated with medication alone.
“We’re praying for secondary HLH,” Katie says. “But we’re prepared either way. Our whole family has already been tested as potential bone marrow donors.”
There’s still a long road ahead. Even if Berkley doesn’t need a transplant, she’ll remain on immune-suppressing medications and continue care at the St. Jude-affiliated clinic at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge.
In the meantime, the Dearman family is leaning on faith — and community. A donation fund has been set up to help with travel, lodging, and medical expenses.
But the most important gift, Katie says, is prayer.
“You wonder, why Berkley? Why our family?” Katie asks. “But I believe she’s going to have an amazing testimony one day. And until she’s old enough to share it, I’m going to do it for her. God’s not finished. She’s here for a reason.”
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