
It was the last game of T-ball. Riley was doing what he loved most, playing with “his boys.” He came in the dugout halfway through the game not well enough to finish. Completely out of character for my son. We pushed him to go back out but realized something was different. The following week he was diagnosed with strep. Another week went by and Riley showed no improvement and we began to worry. After bloodwork through our pediatrician we were referred to CHOA with concerns of Leukemia. It was a complete shock. The next few days flew by… CHOA, outpatient clinic, ER with high fevers, admitted for more testing and finally the bone marrow sample was ordered. Our son has Leukemia. Our life stopped. We moved to the AFLAC Cancer Center and began our cancer journey. It was a whirlwind of information and layers of results. We soon found out that he had Leukemia B-cell ALL and started chemo treatments. The first phase of treatment in this long journey was hard. Very hard. To watch your child suffer in this way is unimaginable. But he did it. He is a fighter. My son has Leukemia. It is our battle to fight. I find peace in knowing God has big plans for my son far greater than J.R. and I can understand. He will win this battle. He will have a story to tell. A platform to lead.
So we fight.
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.