Rip's story of hope, presented by Chick-Fil-A New Orleans

Craig Ripley Clasen, affectionately known as 'Rip' by everyone who loves him, is now 11 years old and has always been an easy-going child. His mother, Susan, shares that he never complains and smiles far more often than he doesn’t, radiating positivity even in the toughest times. 

In May of 2023, when Susan and her husband, Craig, New Orleans residents, decided to take a quick vacation, they didn’t think twice about leaving Rip and his siblings with family for a few days. 

“My mother called me to let me know he was in extreme, ‘off-the-charts’ pain. She took him to the pediatrician, and he started taking an antibiotic,” Susan said. “Then he was with Craig’s mom and the pain only got worse. He went to the local ER three times in two days. By the time I got home from my trip, Rip was a different kid. His lips were bleeding, and he wasn’t eating. He could barely communicate because he was in so much pain,” she continued. “Something was very, very wrong. We decided to go directly to Children’s Hospital New Orleans (CHNOLA).” 

After one visit to Children’s, it was clear Rip was suffering from something far worse than a severe ear infection. His bloodwork indicated he had pancytopenia, meaning all his red and white blood cells and platelets were low. He also had an ear infection that was causing a lot of pain. “Even drawing blood was extremely painful for Rip,” Susan said. 

At that point, Susan contacted her husband, who as a ship pilot is often gone for several days at a time. She and Rip needed him by their side. “By then we knew the ear infection was not the main problem, but we also knew that his immune system was impacted to the point that the ear infection wouldn’t heal. All the three of us could do was wait for test results,” said Susan. “We were terrified. Our kid was in enormous pain, he couldn’t even talk to us. I left a healthy, sporty, 10-year-old boy and came home to a child I just didn’t recognize.” 

They eventually got an answer for Rip’s sudden decline when Charles Hemenway, MD, a pediatric hematologist oncologist at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, diagnosed Rip with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). This type of leukemia occurs when the body’s bone marrow produces too many abnormal B-lymphocytes– the type of white blood cell that helps the human body fight infection.  

“I told the doctor I wanted a clear path forward and Dr. Hemenway gave it to us,” Susan added. “Sure, there was a lot of testing and waiting. I learned a lot about leukemia because there are so many types and which type Rip had was going to dictate treatment. We had to be patient.” 

While doctors discussed a care plan for his cancer diagnosis, Rip underwent a mastoidectomy to remove the ear infection. “I’m so grateful for the ear infection actually because we had a trip planned to Australia,” Susan said. “Rip’s leukemia diagnosis could have gone unchecked, and he could have been at camp or in another country on vacation. So, in a strange way, the ear infection got us to where we needed to be. Most definitely, it got us to Children’s.” 

Dr. Hemenway introduced the Clasens to pediatric oncologist Justin Farge, MD, who would take over Rip’s treatment plan. “That’s when I realized that life is not supposed to happen in a certain way. It’s all about how you react to whatever happens. Meeting Dr. Farge was the first step in the path forward.” 

The Clasen family braced themselves for the battle ahead, with chemotherapy as their weapon and Dr. Farge leading the charge. Rip underwent surgery to have a port inserted, staying at CHNOLA until he was well enough to continue treatment on an outpatient basis. Over the next eight months, the Clasens made countless trips to the hospital, determined to fight the cancer with every chemotherapy session. 

Susan learned quickly that Chemotherapy is a slow process, and patients react differently to each course of treatment.  “But the nurses made all the difference. In a weird way, the nurses are so upbeat and fun. And one of the main reasons I love Dr. Farge is that he doesn’t allow time for families to feel sorry for themselves. He had a plan, and he kept moving forward. He focused on Rip as a kid – not only as a patient. I even had to remind myself that he has other patients. He takes so much time, and he remembers everything about Rip.” 

Sheri, Dr. Farge’s nurse, supported the family every step of the way. “If I get nervous at the beginning of a new round of chemo, Sherri is there for me. If I have a ‘what if’ moment…if I break down, Sherri is there.” 

Susan said, without a doubt, Dr. Farge and Sherri are her “partners in fighting Rip’s cancer.” 

“I couldn’t ask for a better team. They ‘get’ my kid and they understand he is an outdoors kid. This diagnosis took everything from him. Cancer changed his life and they helped us and held our hands through it all,” she said. 

This past March, Rip started taking oral meds daily and receiving chemo infusions monthly via his port as maintenance.  

“I try not to project forward. We aren’t out of the woods yet and there is still a lot ahead of us, Susan said.  “For now, Rip is being Rip. He loves school, fishing and he wants to be with his friends. He is a social kid and loves playing lacrosse, soccer and football. His real passions are spearfishing, fishing, and hunting with his dad.” 

In fact, hunting has taught Rip some lessons he utilized during his battle with cancer. Susan said, "Hunting takes a lot of patience, and you have to use everything you are given to be successful. Success doesn’t come immediately. Rip realized quickly that fighting cancer was going to be a long journey. ‘You take life one step at a time,’ we told him. Control what you can control. We remind him all the time about how far he has come in his treatment and tell him, ‘Don’t look ahead, look at what you have to do today. And he learned that if he is patient, he will get through this.” 

To learn more about Children’s Hospital New Orleans is committed to diagnosing and treatment childhood cancers, please read: https://www.chnola.org/services/hematology-oncology/oncology-services/