Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Take little Gavin Strand who appears to be healthy baby boy – smiling and doing everything developmentally that a one-year-old is supposed to be doing – except that Gavin is also bravely fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
 
A day after Gavin Strand’s first birthday, his parent’s Daniel and Katie took him to the pediatrician for his well visit. The doctor immediately noticed that Gavin looked a bit pale and ordered some routine blood test. No one was prepared for the results, especially Daniel and Katie, indicating that their son had leukemia.
 
Gavin was immediately sent to the Children’s Hospital in Boston where they ordered a blood transfusion to build up his blood cells followed by chemotherapy. The entire time Gavin has been in treatment, he has remained his happy self with no outward appearance of being “sick.” He continues to learn new words, walk, pretend he’s talking on the phone and shake his head “no” when nurses come in the room. Although Daniel and Katie realize that Gavin’s temperament may change as his treatment becomes more aggressive, they are thankful that their little boy continues to fill their days with laughs and smiles, and are committed to remaining positive themselves.
 
Daniel and Katie hope that Gavin will have no memory of his battle with childhood cancer and that someday they’ll be able to tell him about how brave he was at such a young age. Perhaps he will even grow up to be a clinician helping other young children and their families through their journey with cancer. Most importantly, they will tell him why he is their hero.
 
Information provided by Daniel and Katie Strand
July 2012

Update: As of February 2014, Gavin is still in treatment.  However, he is now a big brother to sister McKinley!