Childhood Cancer Warrior Spotlight: Stetson
As told by his mother
When Stetson was 5 years old he was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. JMML happens when types of white blood cells called monocytes and myelocytes do not mature normally. Shortly after that about a month-2 months he was also diagnosed with a pre-cancerous condition called Langerhns Cell Histiocytosis also known as LCH. Which is also a rare thing; it’s a disorder where the body produces too many Langerhans cells, a type of immune cell, leading to these cells building up and forming boney like lesions (tumors) or damaging organs.
Leading up to his diagnosis things didn’t seem right; he was more irritable, more sleepy, had bruises couldn’t figure out from where or how, only wanted to be around mom, had bad petechia rash on face and in mouth. I was told several times by urgent care at Texas Children’s The Woodlands that it was just allergies or common viral infection. It wasn’t until night of February 3rd that he ate a bite of mom’s dinner and I noticed that his throat was almost swollen shut and took him straight to emergency room. He tested positive for mono and strep and was admitted. Once they had admitted him they ran the normal blood work and that’s when it came back with leukemia markers and we were being referred downtown to Texas Children’s in Houston. February 5 we were transferred by ambulance to downtown hospital and admitted into the oncology and hematology floor. Stetson was diagnosed on February 13 day before Valentines and four days before mom’s birthday.
I was told his leukemia was a rare thing and they didn’t see it a lot and the oncologist called the expert in another state to discuss case and best measures.
For most of 2025 Stetson and his mom lived in the hospital on hematology and oncology floors until transferring to transplant services in June. He spent most of his time in art room, with therapy dog, hanging with friends met going through similar battle, or sleeping. The nurses taught him how to play video games when going through chemo and it helped so much keeping his mind distracted from all the big scary medial stuff. He knew more about nurses, oncologist and medicine then any child should ever have to know. Mom had nurses to talk to and break down with during this hard battle. He had his 6th birthday in the hospital.
Eventually told Stetson he was sick and we referred to it as “the monster inside him”. He had toy army men in his hospital room that was there to protect him and give him the courage to fight that monster that’s inside of him. And that’s all the kids referred to it in family.
His first discharge was to intercontinental hotel for few weeks and he loved it, he referred to it as a mini vacation. When he was discharged after transplant in September Mom and Stetson went to Ronald McDonald House where been ever since. Ronald McDonald was like a breathe of fresh air, mom had time to be mom and caregiver without worrying about so much stuff on top of it all. Stetson has met and made friends with so many people from all over the world in the hospital and at Ronald McDonald house.
Stetson is very smart, outspoken, friendly, silly and very loved by so many. His strength and courage is a true inspiration to all those that know him, we refer to him as “our superhero”. He continues to be seen by transplant team and every 3 or so months repeat imaging and scans to keep track of his LCH lesions and he goes to physical therapy once a week for few more months to work on strengthening and condition after all scary harsh medications he was on for last year. He used to get so upset seeing all his friends and family doing fun stuff and getting to go outside and ride their bikes and he always asked when do I get to do that again and it be safe for me. But now, he understands mom is very overly cautious for his immune system and outside has a lot of big germs that aren’t so friendly to severe immune compromised children.
