Described by his parents as “a boy with a whole ‘lot of character who has never met a stranger,” six-year-old Andrew is known to light up the room and put a smile on everyone’s faces. An active child, Andrew started playing soccer at the age of two-and-half, followed by gymnastics and baseball. In November of 2018, he decided he also wanted to give basketball a try. 

During basketball practice, Andrew’s mom Stephanie noticed that he was out of breath and completely exhausted. Concerned, she made an appointment with the pediatrician who told them it was just Andrew’s asthma acting up. Stephanie, following her trusty mother’s intuition, felt that something was still not right and so she demanded a cardiologist referral. During the exam, the doctor heard a murmur and also noticed that Andrew’s skin had a yellowish tint and that he could not perform simple exercises without running out of breath. She suggested taking trip to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for further tests. 

On November 20, 2018, Andrew was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). “It was for sure one of the scariest, most heartbreaking, devastating days of our lives,” shared Stephanie. ALL is a type of leukemia that progresses quickly and develops from early forms of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.

Andrew was admitted to the hospital that same day, had a blood transfusion that night, and started chemo the very next day. Despite all of the difficulties Andrew has encountered, he never gives up and always carries a positive attitude. His favorite saying is “if you can believe it, you can achieve it.” Anytime he feels scared for a procedure, he repeats that over and over until it’s done. “Andrew is such a strong little warrior!” his parents said.

Every child who has been diagnosed with childhood cancer inspires us to Rally On to find better treatments with fewer long-term side effects and, ultimately, cures. Please join us in the fight against childhood cancer by making a donation or setting up your own Rally fundraiser today.