Zain had just started kindergarten and he started having some trouble walking. My first thought was maybe he was riding his bike for too long or he may have fell on the playground. A few days later he started limping then slowly crawling. The pediatrician recommended to do an X-ray and I requested bloodwork. The X-ray came back normal but …
Bennett’s Story
Back in January of 2021, our lives changed forever when after a persistent cough, Bennett was diagnosed with a 10cm Burkitt-Like Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma mass in his left lung and wrapping around his heart and pulmonary veins. After what seems to be an amazingly uncomplicated and successful first chemo cycle, he developed C. Diff. Right as his WBC counts dropped to …
Jax’s Story
Four years ago this summer (July 9th, 2019) Jax was diagnosed with Leukemia (AML) at just 4 years old. It all started with his little sister having a virus. Jax later started showing the same symptoms that his little sister had. We took Jax to a walk-in clinic to get checked. The medical team claimed it was best to send …
Tannar’s Journey
THE BEGINNING Tannar, our eight-year-old, has always been an active, fun-loving boy who is a little rough and tumble. Getting bruises was no new thing for either of our boys! However, after soccer season last fall, we discovered that Tannar was still bruising in the most odd places that we just couldn’t explain- the backs of his arms, thighs, the …
Miyonna’s Story
Miyonna’s journey started in August of 2020, she was only 3 years old and a very active little girl. She loved to play with her siblings, dance, and have fun. One day she came to me and told that her arm was sleepy (numb) so I was thinking that she fell or landed on it wrong or nursemaid elbow. So …
Ethan’s Story
Ethan was a typical 3 year old boy prior to his diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Being a typical boy, he would have occasional bruises on his arms or legs from rough playing with his brothers. Approximately 1 month prior to Ethan’s diagnosis, he was noted to have more bruising than normal on his extremities. Two weeks prior, he …
Messer Family Story
In January of 2022 at the age of 16 months. Bennett Tate was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer that was growing behind his right eye. Before he was diagnosed, Bennett’s parents, Jessica and Blake noticed his right eye bulging and took him to the local ED in Orlando, Florida where they found a mass in his right …
Liam’s Story
Liam was born on July 19th, 2014 weighing a whopping 8lbs 14oz 21.5 inches long. Looked seemingly healthy and passed all the newborn tests and was good to go home at 3 days old, minus slight jaundice. We had his levels checked at 4 days old. July 25th, 2014 at just 5 days old, I got a call that would …
Myle’s Story
Myles was born with a genetic immune deficiency. Because he was born before his disease being included in newborn screening, he wasn’t diagnosed until he was around one year old. Typically, these kids don’t live beyond their 1st birthday, so we were very fortunate that it was caught. His first bone marrow transplant was immediately after his diagnosis and while …
Yosselin’s Story
Yosselin is an Osteosarcoma Cancer Survivor! Yosselin was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma on December 21, 2011, at age 6. Yosselin had a limb salvage and double lung surgery to remove the nodules. Yosselin endured 29 horrible chemotherapy treatments and multiple blood transfusions and platelets. As Yosselin grows, she has to have her rod lengthened. Now she is at the point where …