A Little Girl, A Big Fight: Allison Dotzler's Battle with Leukemia
- 37 minutes ago
- 2 min read
by Debra Meyer-Myrum
What began as a few troubling symptoms last summer turned into a life-changing diagnosis for 10-year-old Allison Dotzler and her family. Today, the Christ the King fourth grader is in the fight of her life—and doing it with courage, humor and a community standing firmly behind her.
Allison is the daughter of Michelle and Matthew Dotzler of Clarissa. She shares her busy household with siblings Marissa, Alexis and Jacob. Described by her parents as “happy, loving and tough,” Allison is known for her playful sense of humor and creative spirit. She enjoys crafting jewelry—making bracelets and earrings she proudly sells at her mom’s hair care salon.
Now, her most important job is fighting leukemia.
A Diagnosis No Parent Expects
Allison was diagnosed with leukemia on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Looking back, there were signs. Over the summer she experienced nausea, headaches, unexplained bruising and weight loss. At camp, she struggled to walk up a hill to lunch, often crying with headaches she couldn’t explain.
Like many parents, Michelle and Matthew initially attributed the symptoms to common childhood issues—homesickness, growth changes, everyday fatigue.
But on August 8, everything changed. Allison took an unusual two-hour nap on the couch. When her father brought her lunch, she managed only two bites before feeling nauseous and chilled. Her condition quickly worsened, and Matthew rushed her to Lakewood Health System in Staples.
Emergency room staff performed a full workup and began IV fluids. Test results prompted an immediate transfer to Children’s Minnesota. At 4:30 a.m., leukemia was confirmed. Allison was admitted to the hospital’s seventh floor, dedicated to pediatric cancer and blood disorders.
Doctors quickly determined she had a rare and aggressive form of leukemia involving the FLT-3 mutation—a mutation more commonly found in elderly patients and associated with rapid leukemia cell growth and a higher risk of relapse.
Chemotherapy began that Monday.
“You just have to move forward and do what needs to be done,” her parents said of the moment they received the diagnosis...
