Colton is a sweet, intelligent, tough, brave, resilient, determined, and thoughtful 4-year-old. He is a loving big brother and there is no doubt that he was meant for this role. Colton and his little brother, Connor, are best friends. He is extremely loved by many including his Mom, Dad, and brother, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, his many cousins, and many friends.
We started to notice “bumps” on Colton’s neck and noticed they continued down his clavicle. We thought they could be swollen lymph nodes as he was a little congested. Other than that he appeared to be perfectly healthy. Luckily we had his 4-year well check scheduled the next day. Our pediatrician ordered stat testing and was extremely thorough in obtaining results.
Unfortunately, after a chest x-ray and CT scan we found there was a mass growing in Colton’s chest.
Colton will have 2.5 years of treatment with the first 8-9 months being intensive chemotherapy. Although his treatment is outpatient, in the first two and a half months of his treatment we have already spent 24 nights hospitalized.
He has had more lumbar punctures than I can count at this point and many weeks is at the hospital 4-5 days a week for chemotherapy infusions, procedures, exams, and other procedures.
Ours lives have been flipped upside down since Colton’s diagnosis. We were preparing for a much-anticipated family vacation to the beach. Unfortunately, the day before we were flying out we received the call that there was a mass in Colton’s chest and all signs were pointing towards Lymphoma. We were told to cancel our vacation and that we would be admitted to the hospital.
Since his diagnosis, we have put many things to the side so that we can support Colton through his treatment. We are doing our best to help our 4-year-old and his almost 3-year-old little brother understand pediatric cancer and our current scenario. We are doing everything in our power to be everything they need.
For the most part, he has taken this on with a smile on his face and an incredible amount of understanding and resilience. We are inspired every single day by Colton’s toughness, courage, and bravery.
Hope session by Cynthia Dawson Photography | Facebook | Instagram