“He is the strongest, bravest little guy and he continues to amaze us with his sweet spirit!” – Cayla, Four Diamonds mom to Noah
Discovering Your Child Has Cancer
In January of 2023, Noah visited his pediatrician for an ear infection. When he didn't recover after completing his antibiotics, his parents made another appointment with his pediatrician. Noah was experiencing recurring fevers, night sweats, random bruising and he was weak and pale. His pediatrician sent him to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital for immediate bloodwork.
Noah's parents were expecting an anemia diagnosis since he had similar symptoms, but Noah's blood test revealed that he likely had leukemia and would need a bone marrow test to confirm the diagnosis. At two-and-a-half-years-old, Noah was diagnosed with B-ALL (B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia).
That night in the ER was a lot for Noah's parents to take in. They were devastated and heartbroken to hear the cancer diagnosis. At the time of Noah's diagnosis, his sister was only two months old.
Noah's Cancer Journey Begins
The next day, Noah received his port and started chemotherapy. Noah's treatment consisted of chemo infusions, chemo injections, spinal taps, steroids and oral chemo. For Noah and his family, this journey has been full of ups and downs throughout every phase. Some days, Noah was too weak to walk or even leave the couch.
Through it all, Noah and his family received support from Four Diamonds both financially and through the Child Life staff that helped Noah through treatments. Their family and friends were also ready to provide whatever was needed.
“We’ve never had a doubt that he was getting the best care,” Cayla, Noah's mother said. “His doctors and nurses, everyone, have been so great at explaining everything and being there for us. The amount of support we’ve had has been amazing and overwhelming. We take Noah’s treatment day by day, but what helps the most is keeping a positive attitude and encouraging each other.”
Courageously Moving Forward
For Noah, courage looks like taking each day of treatment as it comes. He is currently in the maintenance phase of his treatment and is doing well. He visits the clinic every four weeks for blood work and continues to take daily chemo at home. Every twelve weeks, Noah has a spinal tap.
Each day, Noah is growing and learning new things. There are occasional setbacks with low blood counts, viruses and side effects from chemotherapy. Despite facing challenges, Noah is thriving! His best days are spent running around outside and swinging with his little sister, playing with his cat Oliver, watching sports with his daddy or driving his Disney Cars. Lightning McQueen is his favorite Disney Cars character!
"Four Diamonds has been one of the greatest blessings to our family during the hardest time of our lives. We are so grateful to them and all of their supporters for taking some of the burden off of us, allowing us to focus solely on Noah and his healing." – Cayla
Noah's parents believe God placed him on this journey for a reason, and they will continue to use his story to make a difference in the lives of others. They are excited to see how Noah uses his story throughout the rest of his life!
To learn more about how Four Diamonds helps families like Noah's while facing childhood cancer, click here.