Parker is a shy, timid boy with a huge, caring heart. He’s a kind person to everyone. He enjoys swimming, playing outside, baseball, video games, and spending time with family and friends. 

In April 2025, Parker started complaining about pain in his left leg. At first, his parents just assumed it was growing pains, but it persisted. They took him to the pediatrician, who ordered an X-ray but found nothing. The pain continued and worsened for weeks: another X-ray of his leg and hip also showed nothing, a pediatric orthopedic doctor’s X-ray showed nothing, two MRIs came back normal. By early June, the leg pain started to diminish some but then Parker was experiencing stomach pain. Since he had previous bowel issues, his parents figured he was simply constipated. But the pain in his stomach persisted, so another appointment with the pediatrician was made.

The night before Parker’s appointment he woke up crying hysterically in pain. This time, his parents took him straight to the ER. There, a CT scan finally revealed something: a large mass in his abdomen was compressing some of his nerves under his spine and his kidney.

Paker had embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

He was transferred to Akron Children's Hospital for further testing and began treatment. It lasted a total of 42 weeks, consisting of 14 cycles of chemotherapy and 28 sessions of radiation. Due to the location of his tumor, surgery wasn’t possible.

Parker handled treatment better than his family could have anticipated! He would only feel sick for a day or two every third week, after “big” chemo treatments, and while he needed physical and occupational therapy due to some weakness from one of the medications, he really enjoyed going to “the gym” as he’d call it. His family is so proud of him and grateful that he never experienced any fevers and had essentially no complications.

By the 12 week mark, scans were showing that his tumor was almost inactive already. By the end of treatment, the tumor remained but showed absolutely no activity, and Parker is considered cancer-free!

Parker had his three-month scans in August which continued to show tumor stability. His next scans will be at the end of October.

During treatment, Parker’s mom homeschooled him since he was supposed to start kindergarten. This year, he went back to school as a first grader!

“Parker is my hero because he is resilient,” said Ashley, Parker’s mom. “He has had to endure way more than most children his age, and he did so with such bravery and a positive attitude. Of course there were days and times that upset him but overall he was such a good sport. I am just so proud of him and I hope one day he realizes how courageous and strong he was during it all!”

Ashley has also found hope through this experience from Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). While in the midst of treatment, she and her family received photos of Parker through our Flashes of Hope program. “It was such an amazing experience,” Ashley said. “Obviously those days are so traumatic, but it was heartwarming to get such personal shots during a real vulnerable time.”

They also held a lemonade stand fundraiser this past summer at their local park to raise money for ALSF and kids like Parker!

Information provided by Ashley R., Parker’s mom
Updated September 2026