On the surface, Colin seems like any other kid eagerly awaiting to start middle school. He always has a pep in his step and takes pride in his curly locks, no matter how often Mom Allison asks if she can give them a trim.
However, six years ago, Alison recalls the early days of Colin's illness: "He had a lot of bone and abdominal pain at night; it got better during the day, but it was most nights, and he wasn't eating very well, and he was much more tired. Colin had just started kindergarten, so we were just saying that 'Maybe the fatigue was because [he was] starting kindergarten.'"
Colin and his family's lives changed forever when a month of fevers, extreme bone pain, numerous trips to the pediatrician, and ER visits resulted in a devastating diagnosis of Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and it instantly turned their world upside down.
For the past six years, Colin and his family's life has been a rollercoaster of treatments, setbacks, and moments of hope. His first round of chemotherapy was riddled with complications, often landing him in the hospital and challenging his family's spirit. Participating in the PH-ALL clinical trial at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offered a glimmer of hope.
"Colin was in remission, went off treatment in October 2020, and then he relapsed the first time in June of 2021. He got back in remission, with CAR T at UVA Children's Hospital, went through a bone marrow transplant in October of 2021 at CHOP, and did well with the transplant but then relapsed again March of 2023," Alison shared, her voice filled with a mix of hope and heartache.
After receiving chemo, Colin was back in remission, and to this day, he is still in and out of the clinic in maintenance receiving treatment. However, his treatment doesn't prevent him from leading a life of fun and excitement like any other 11-year-old boy.
Colin and his family have since participated in ASK's first-ever community and connection event in Charlottesville, where families from across the region met for a fun-filled family picnic. They spent the afternoon building community and enjoying time as a family. He has also started middle school with the help of former ASK Education Navigator Lauren, who helped ensure Colin received the necessary resources to support his education throughout his treatment.
"[Lauren] was really helpful for his 504 meeting for starting middle school… and really helped [ed] advocate for him. She was the one who helped [Colin] with not having a calculator or having a calculator for all of [his] stuff and for all of the state testing, which not everyone gets. So she was really good to advocate for him for things for school," Alison, ASK Kid Colin's Mom
Colin's family also participated in ASK's most recent GlowGold campaign to help raise awareness of pediatric cancer in their community and the need for funding for additional resources for families with a child with cancer. "Cancer affects the whole family, not just the child," Alison explained. "Cancer affects the whole family and siblings too. People need to know how much [families diagnosed with cancer] have to go outside the state of VA to get treatment and that we need more resources within the state."
Allison and her family continue to find ways to get involved in the ASK community, which has made a big difference not only in Colin's life but also in their entire family's during difficult times.