Cancer took some of Atlas’s childhood and part of his left arm, but it hasn’t taken his spirit. 

“Atlas has gone through more in his 21 months of life than some people go through their entire lives. Through it all he has remained so positive and always has a huge smile on his face,” says his mom, Alison.

Atlas was 8 months old when he fell and fractured his arm. After a few casts, his parents noticed a peculiar bump remained on his wrist, and it wouldn’t go away. Later, they learned that it was a tumor called undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma, and it was eating away at the bones in his wrist. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor which can develop in the bone or soft tissue. These sarcomas can occur in any part of the body but are most common in the limbs such as the arms or legs.

Atlas’s bones were weakened by the tumor which caused the fracture, and in turn, the fracture had opened up the flood gates for the tumor, spurring spread and growth throughout the body. Atlas began chemotherapy treatment, but three months after his diagnosis, his doctors were left with no choice but to amputate his arm below the elbow. He continued treatment for several months until he finally rang the bell to celebrate partial remission in 2023.

Sadly, the celebration was short-lived.

A month later, his doctors found another tumor, this one next to his heart. Atlas underwent surgery to remove the tumor, with additional surgeries to remove and reconstruct part of the diaphragm and pericardium – ensuring that the malignant tumor was fully removed alongside a layer of healthy tissue. Although the surgeries were successful, chemotherapy was no longer working for him. Now, after seven consecutive weeks of proton radiation treatment instead, Atlas is in search of a clinical trial.

As his family searches for a new course of action with hopes of finding the right clinical trial for Atlas, they’re holding fast to hope that Atlas will remain resilient until he reaches a cure. “His resilience is inspiring, and it keeps me going,” says Allison. 

Organizations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation help them to know that they are not alone. “It means someone out there cares. It means the children fighting, who have fought, and those who will fight will have a voice and be heard,” she says. 

Help end childhood cancer, today. 

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