After several sleepless nights and an approaching trip to a magical destination, Preston’s parents decided it was time to see the ENT about an ear infection. He had a double ear infection and swollen lymphnode. Through four rounds of antibiotics with rechecks every two weeks, the knot in his neck and the ear infection would not go away. Preston’s ENT decided to do an ultrasound on his neck and called that same night to refer him to an ENT that specialized in neck masses at Children’sHealthcare of Atlanta. A CT scan lead the doctor to recommend surgery the next day. She didn’t know what she was going to remove, but she knew she wanted it out. After what was expected to be a two hour surgery turned into a four hour surgery, the doctor came in to tell Preston’s parents that she had successfully removed 80% of what preliminary tests showed to be Neuroblastoma. Preston was admitted to the AFLAC center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite to recover from surgery and have further testing. The testing revealed that the tumor had not spread and the histology was favorable, negative for the MYCN gene.Preston expected 3-4 rounds of chemo, but the outlook was good. WhenPreston went in for his pre-port and chemo appointment, Preston’s oncologist had a last minute idea that came as a result of the test results from a research study that looked at Preston’s tumor. Based on previous research, children with similar histology and resection do not typically experience tumor regrowth. He decided to hold off on chemo and see what Preston’s immune system could do on its own.Preston is currently one year post diagnosis and is thriving. He recently celebrated his third birthday and his scans have been spread to every six months. The tumor appears to be dying on its own. He is a wonderful example of the benefits that childhood cancer research can provide to children and families affected by neuroblastoma.

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.