Rhys’ Pieces of the Cure

Rhys was diagnosed with pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. just 2 weeks before his 6th birthday. In the months prior to his diagnosis he had gone from a goofy, fun-loving active little boy to a tired, withdrawn, and somewhat surly kid. His family was hoping it was just a developmental phase, but when he was finally diagnosed all the behavioral changes made sense.

The Goldmans were lucky to live near Seattle Children's Hospital, which has benefited greatly from St Baldrick's funding. For over three years Rhys underwent treatment. He stoically handled countless pokes, lumbar punctures, transfusions, and chemo. The maintenance phase of his treatment plan was supposed to be “easy,” but it wasn't. Like many kids, Rhys’ body struggled to process the chemotherapy His blood counts went up and down and his treatment team struggled to find the correct dosing that wouldn’t completely knock out his bone marrow. He'd be fine for months and suddenly boom! His lab work would show he was unexpectedly neutropenic, in need of transfusions, and requiring another dose adjustment. Sadly, this meant a lot of missed school and life experiences.

Rhys finished his rollercoaster ride through treatment in July 2018 and he's making up for lost time. His days are now filled with singing in a boys’ choir, swimming, chess tournaments, playing with his dogs, and most importantly going to school.

Wouldn't it be nice if the chemotherapy drugs didn't kick you when you're already down? Isn't it bad enough to be a kid with cancer? That's why Rhys Pieces of the Cure was created. This fund will ensure that more research happens. Research that is specifically for kids' treatments and focused on less toxic cures. Please join us and help make this a reality.