Kurt has always been a healthy, active and athletic child. If he’s not running through the back yard reenacting a scene from D-Day in his army attire or flying through the woods on his dirt bike; maybe he’s improving his drifting skills in his go-kart, making passes in his dragster, flying over Stark County with Dad, or perhaps, he’s spending time with his teammates at baseball or soccer practice. You get the picture, this kid lives for the outdoors and thrives to live life to the fullest!!
He started 5th grade off with a bang… enjoying a new set of awesome teachers and a class full of friends. Then one day, this active, healthy kid gets a cold… something he’s had several times before, he didn’t even miss a day of school, it was just a little sniffle. Then suddenly, we noticed he doesn’t want to eat breakfast. Surely this is just a phase and maybe a nervous belly before school, he’ll make up for it later in the day… but then no breakfasts turned into no dinners and stomach aches started. Suddenly the effort is gone at soccer practice and he can barely run the length of the field at games. Riding his bike around the allotment had became a task causing shortness of breath and low stamina, when just a few weeks ago he was riding miles with ease…
A trip to the doctor shows your healthy child just has a virus and needs to rest a little. He just needs more time to recover, but things just don’t add up. Now this super active child is whooped out, tired, not wanting to play and then you see the red dots all over his legs… is his shin guards too tight? Maybe it’s his socks? But then it appears on his legs and arms from just riding in the car.
Another trip to the pediatrician, but this time we are requesting lab work because Mom’s always know when something isn’t right (don’t ever be afraid to advocate for your kids).
In less than 6 hours, Kurt and our whole family’s lives were turned upside down as we were given the worst news that any parent could ever receive. That night, on September 10, 2024, Kurt was diagnosed with High Risk B-ALL. That night he joined the more than 300,000 other kids worldwide who were diagnosed with cancer in 2024.
The days and weeks that followed that were exhausting as Kurt and our family learned all about his diagnosis, the treatment plan, and learning to understand lab work numbers, new medical terms, side effects, and meeting and getting to know a wonderful team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and therapy staff. Our heads were held low that first month… not daring to look another parent in the eye, not able to do much else besides worry and cry.
Now, nearly 5 months into treatment, we have lifted our heads and prepared for battle! Kurt’s Army was formed and now he has hundreds of friends, family, classmates, teachers, and strangers lined up to cheer him on, pray for him, and fight along side him! This isn’t easy, but he’s a warrior and he’s handling this treatment with such poise! Now we need your help!! By sharing the gifts of your time, talent and money with the St. Baldrick's Foundation, you can help support research to give not just Kurt, but all kids with cancer a better chance for a cure. Let’s help make a difference in the lives of these kids!
