As Kayden heads back to school this fall, his parents are praying for a normal year—especially in light of the challenges he faced throughout the last school year . . .
Six-year-old Kayden’s cancer journey began with a simple limp that doctors initially dismissed as growing pains. But after multiple ER visits for unexplained bruising and excruciating pain, tests revealed that over half his bone marrow cells were in fact leukemia.
Suddenly, this sweet, curious boy found himself navigating a cancer treatment system designed for adults . . . sitting in too-big-for-him infusion chairs and enduring harsh, energy-sapping, nausea-inducing chemotherapy.
And school last year? It was tricky—both for Kayden and for his family. Although his school was incredibly accommodating for everything he needed, the effects of Kayden’s treatment took its toll day to day.
As Kayden heads back to school this fall, his parents are thrilled that he doesn’t have any restrictions on what he can and cannot do (his treatment ended back in February), and so far he hasn’t experienced any side effects from his current medications.
They’re all just hoping for one thing this school year: normalcy.
Bella’s family too . . . but things look very different for Bella this fall. Rather than Bella going to school, school has to “go to Bella”—since she cannot attend in person, all day every day, like the other kids.
At 10, Bella was diagnosed with pineoblastoma, a rare, aggressive type of cancer that begins in the cells of the brain’s pineal gland. She had surgery to remove the tumor, which caused vision impairment, and radiation. And while Bella is doing much better now, she still deals with long-term side effects . . . she was recently diagnosed with AMPS disease.
Bella continues to defy the odds and is the true definition of a warrior—and a walking miracle—ready to tackle whatever is thrown at her with a smile on her face.
During her eighth grade year, school looked very different for Bella. She received homebound instruction from a teacher, and the school has gone above and beyond to make sure she continues learning and stays connected. It means the world to Bella and her family, especially as she enters her freshman year of high school this fall! Bella hopes to start the year off with one in-person class and grow from there.
While Kayden and Bella’s stories illustrate what incredible resilience each of them has, they also highlight why continued, diligent research into gentler, more effective treatments for children with cancer is so vital.
Every child deserves the chance at a normal school year—a normal childhood—and everything that comes after. Your support for Children’s Cancer Research Fund makes it possible.
