Isaac, 12, lives for sports – basketball, baseball, and his favorite, football. But seven years ago, every drive wasn’t to a game – it was to endless hospital appointments fighting childhood cancer.

In 2018, strange symptoms led his mom, Jennifer, to take him to the hospital. Within hours, doctors delivered a diagnosis no family wants to hear: leukemia.

Jennifer says she’ll never forget the image of the elevator doors sliding open to reveal the words “Hematology/oncology” on the seventh floor.

“Those doors opened, and it was like it all became real,” Jennifer said. “You see those words on the wall, and you see the other kids on that floor, and it all just hits you.”

Isaac’s treatment began immediately, starting with high-dose chemotherapy, but remission didn’t come as expected. He became a high-risk patient, enduring weeks of chemo, needle pokes, isolation, and even allergic reactions to medication.

Just when it seemed hope was running out, research offered a lifeline. A new immunotherapy – approved for adults but not yet for children – was adapted for Isaac. Four rounds sent him into remission, and a life-saving bone marrow transplant followed. Today, Isaac is thriving, living proof that childhood cancer research saves lives.

Even now, survivorship care continues. Isaac regularly sees Dr. Karim Sadak, senior medical director of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, to track his physical, cognitive, and mental health, ensuring any late effects of treatment are addressed early. Because of research, he’s back to being a kid – exploring street-style fashion, learning to cook, making friends, and chasing the life he was meant to live.

Isaac is also stepping into a new kind of spotlight. He’ll join other childhood cancer survivors for the return of Glamorama, helping bring the production to life and celebrating the creativity, courage, and resilience that make kids like him unstoppable.