My son, Peyton, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in 2021 when he was just eight years old. I nearly dropped to the ground in devastation when I heard the words, "Your child has cancer." As a parent, I wanted to fix it. I wanted to make things better but did not know how. We just knew that we were going to fight and learn as much as we could to beat this.
Throughout our journey, Peyton never wavered, proving to be a strong and fierce little boy. Peyton has a twin brother and a younger sister. Many times, we do not realize just how much this impacts their lives as well. Peyton had never been separated from his twin brother until that point. It was a time of balancing care for all three children and trying to understand the treatment plan. Peyton completed seven rounds of chemo, and in September of 2021, he rang the bell and has been in remission.
We attended our first Light The Night (LTN) event that same year. This is when our children realized that there are survivors, supporters, and those who we remember who lost the fight. This hit home to our children. We knew from that moment that we wanted to make a difference and support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to raise funds and awareness. Peyton was asked to be the Honored Hero for Light The Night in 2023. When he spoke at the event, he was able to share that he was scared, he didn't understand why this was happening to him, but what he did understand was that he was going to fight and that this only showed him how strong he is.
We are blessed and lucky, but the fight is not over. There are many children battling cancer and our goal is to continue to raise awareness, share our story, and give hope to others. This diagnosis impacts the entire family. Pediatric cancer treatment advocacy has become part of our lives, and I hope to make a difference.
Peyton
non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
