Caleb was 9 months old when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. This cancerous tumor was located on his spine. A month before he was diagnosed, we were taking him to the doctor’s once a week because we knew something was not right. He would cry every time that he would lay on his back, he stopped putting weight on his legs and he began sleeping in an odd position. We continued to be sent home. On Sunday, June 13, 2010, we took Caleb back to the hospital and put our foot down. Caleb had not urinated or had a bowel movement all weekend and he was now to the point where his legs did not move at all. They did an MRI and found the tumor on his spine. The tumor got so big that it was crushing his spine, causing him to lose all feeling from the waist down. They did emergency surgery and were able to remove 50% of the tumor. He immediately regained movement in his legs, but the doctors told us that they were unsure if he would ever walk or be able to use the bathroom on his own. Chemotherapy was much longer than doctors expected. Caleb received 8 rounds of chemotherapy and 3 months of physical therapy. Caleb can walk and go to the bathroom!!! He was a soldier and survivor!!! On February 10, 2011 we received the news that Caleb was in remission.

Written by Brittney Kenerson, Caleb’s Mom
May 2011