Gavin's Story: Overcoming Acute Myeloid Leukemia

11-year-old patient at Texas Children’s Hospital remains joyful while undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.

When Alexandria learned that her youngest son, Gavin, had cancer, she went into a state of shock.

“As a parent, nothing can prepare you for that moment,” she said. “I remember thinking, no, this can’t be real. Cancer is something that you read about — it’s something that happens to other people. I felt both numb and flooded with emotions at the same time. I felt lost.”

Doctors recommended that Gavin — a rambunctious, 11-year-old boy who loves sports and the outdoors — be rushed to Texas Children’s Hospital. In the ambulance, he started joking around with the driver.

“He looked over the top of his stretcher and asked the driver, ‘Hey, do you think you can drift the ambulance,’” remembers Alexandria. “That’s when I knew that Gavin’s happy, courageous spirit would win this fight.”

The first signs

Gavin’s early symptoms were difficult to diagnose. After a brief cold, a lymph node on the left side of Gavin’s neck became swollen — so swollen and painful that his parents eventually brought him to an emergency room. Doctors did an ultrasound and a CT scan; the results were inconclusive.

“But he developed a horrible rash after leaving the hospital,” said Alexandria. “So we took him to urgent care, where he was diagnosed with mononucleosis. We correlated the swollen lymph node with his mono and didn’t think anything of it. They prescribed him antibiotics. The swelling went down.”

This happened in November 2023. From November to February, however, Gavin struggled with setbacks: sinus infections, colds, fevers. “He never really got better,” said Alexandria.

One night, at the beginning of February, Gavin woke up in agony: pain in his neck, between his shoulder blades and across his chest. 

“He was so stiff he couldn’t even turn his head,” recalls Alexandria. “Nothing alleviated his pain, it was horrible.”  

They rushed Gavin to a hospital near his hometown Damon, Texas, where doctors did tests and broke the news that he likely had leukemia. They referred him to Texas Children’s Hospital.

The diagnosis

Gavin was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – a rare and aggressive cancer that causes the bone marrow to rapidly produce abnormal white blood cells. Although it is most often diagnosed in adults over the age of 60, each year roughly 1,160 children receive an AML diagnosis.

“I’ll never forget when the doctors confirmed Gavin’s diagnosis,” said Alexandria. “He was playing on his iPad, and they pulled us aside to break the news. I took some deep breaths and returned to the moment — I knew we were going to be living in the moment for a long time.”

The treatment

Gavin’s treatment started right away. He underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, then a bone marrow transplant at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, which has a 25-bed inpatient transplant unit –among the largest of its kind in the southwestern United States.

“To be honest, Gavin’s treatment has been really tough,” said Alexandria. “He’s had complications like roseola, C. difficile and hepatic veno-occlusive disease – a condition in which veins in the liver become blocked. With the nausea and pain for weeks on end, it all adds up.”

Despite the challenges, Gavin remained unshaken in his joyful, rambunctious nature.

“He is always smiling,” said Alexandria. “Although he’s fighting for his life, Texas Children’s goes out of its way to let him be a little boy. He has a mini basketball hoop in his room. Nurses and doctors come by and play games with him. One night, he sent a remote-controlled snake into the hallway and scared his favorite nurses. They thought it was hilarious.” 

Alexandria is grateful for the Child Life Specialists at Texas Children’s, who provide art and music therapy, animal-assisted therapy, school programs and access to library resources – services that Gavin takes full advantage of. In particular, he is bonding with Lawton, a 2-year-old facility dog that serves patients through the Pawsitive Play Program.

Texas Children’s Hospital

“If I had to describe Texas Children’s in a single word, it would be perfect,” said Alexandria. “I know it’s strange to say ‘perfect’ in this situation, but I couldn’t ask for a better hospital. The world-renowned doctors at Texas Children’s are not only saving Gavin’s life, but also supporting the entire family. They answer questions before we know what questions to ask, and they talked to Gavin’s sister to help her understand what Gavin is going through.”

Gavin’s medical team is equally impressed with Gavin and his family. 

“From the second Gavin arrived, it was clear he was one of a kind,” said Dr. Chelsea Vrana. “Gavin has taken every challenge head on. He keeps himself busy playing basketball with his dad, training the facility dog, and learning new yo-yo tricks to impress the staff. It took no time for the entire inpatient unit to fall in love with his infectious spirit. He’s been a true joy.”

"Gavin came to the stem cell transplant unit after receiving upfront chemotherapy for treatment of his acute myeloid leukemia,” said Dr. Erin Doherty, Gavin’s bone marrow transplant physician at the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center and Assistant Professor of Hematology-Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine. “Stem cell transplant can be a long and difficult process for patients and their families, but he has approached it with the same energy and optimism that he has had from the start of his treatment. Despite having some very hard days he is still telling jokes, trying to play pranks on the nurses, and keeping everyone around him entertained. He is truly one of a kind and I can always count on him to bring a smile to my face." 

Learn more about Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center.