In the Fall of 2023, Keaton’s Kiddo Kodiak was diagnosed with two rare and aggressive forms of cancer: Mixed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) also known as ‘preleukemia.’
Their journey began one year earlier, in the Fall of 2022, when Kodiak was struck with a series of different seasonal illnesses. Kodiak’s mom Tonya shares: “In September, he got COVID, and then in November it was the flu, and then December RSV.” She shared that after a doctor’s appointment and a full panel of blood work, the doctor reached out and suggested taking him to the emergency room the next day. Tonya shares: “We thought we were just going to go in there and come out, but they ended up keeping us and started giving him blood transfusions right away. So far, he’s had Spider-Man blood, Batman blood, Hulk blood, Superman blood, and we just did Aquaman. We’re just going to keep doing ‘superhero blood’ to make us strong. I told him God’s just putting us through a special strength training test, that’s how he understands it.”
Despite the progress that Kodiak made after his first year of treatment and adjusting back to a life of “normalcy” for him and his family, he unfortunately began to experience frequent illnesses, once again, as well as low blood counts. After several visits and tests, in February 2024, Kodiak and his family received the news that Kodiak had relapsed.
In the midst of all he’s enduring, Kodiak remains resilient and strong during each treatment cycle. Receiving inpatient care for months at a time, Kodiak’s mom and his family focuses on increasing his blood counts, which includes him continuing to receive the “superhero blood” so he can build up more strength in preparation for his upcoming bone marrow transplant.
Demonstrating remarkable resilience, Kodiak and his family have built a strong sense of community and family within their local treatment hospital. He shares his joy by organizing talent shows, magic shows, his love for games, fostering connections with other patients and families through his love for dinosaurs, Mario Kart, and simply bringing smiles to those around him.
Kodiak’s Family Navigator at Keaton’s has had the opportunity to visit Kodiak at his local treatment facility, providing him with special care packages and helping his family access financial support to address transportation barriers and other challenges faced during his hospital stay. This support has meant so much to Kodiak and his mom while offering ongoing care so that his family can continue to focus on their top priority- Kodiak’s wellbeing and care. Tonya shares “Keaton’s has helped so much; our Family Navigator has supported us with any needs that have come up. We are so appreciative.”
Supporting Kodiak’s family has been a true privilege. Witnessing his unwavering strength and resilience throughout his treatment journey has been an inspiration to the entire Keaton’s team. We remain committed to offering Kodiak and his loving family our unwavering support and hope to remain Kodiak Strong!
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