Harrison was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in May 2020, shortly after his 14th birthday. “We knew something was wrong beginning in January 2020, but it took until May 2020 to discover it was cancer.”

After his pediatrician discovered the mass, the family was rushed to Levine Children’s Hospital that day. A biopsy confirmed the type of cancer the following day and Harrison started his first round of chemo two days later. The family remained inpatient for 10 days until his first of six rounds of chemo was complete. The world was shutdown due to Covid, ultimately making things more difficult for the family.

“I had quit a public school teaching job in January 2020 to be available to both my children, as my husband had started a new job that was going to require a lot of travel in the beginning. The plan was to start work again once my husband wasn’t traveling, as his income alone was not enough,” his mom tells us. “Little did I know, God knew I needed to be available as well to become a full-time caregiver for Harrison.  Since his diagnosis, I have not been able to return to work.”

This story is unfortunately not unique to Harrison’s mom, as many parents of children diagnosed with cancer become a single income household to care for their child. That’s where Children’s Cancer Partners steps in.

“Your organization has helped us out financially, by covering travel costs and caregiver meals from the start. However, once Harrison relapsed in April 2021, our support for travel needs became even greater. And Children's Cancer Partners remained by our side,” she recalls.

His mom is proud to tell us that Harrison has been in remission since December 2021!

“Children's Cancer Partners has covered mileage to and from Philadelphia many times, train rides for my husband, rental car expenses, parking, and food.  Children's Cancer Partners also connected us with Children’s Flight of Hope for airfare assistance as well. We would not be able to cover this on our own, as my husband’s income does not even cover our monthly expenses. We have only been able to stay afloat because of the generosity of organizations like yours. We are eternally grateful!”

“Children's Cancer Partners is a very generous organization and they truly care. Carla, our family advocate, is so kind and helpful. She checks in regularly just to see how Harrison is doing. There are times that her check in with me is what gets me through that day as a cancer parent. Children's Cancer Partners allows us to focus on the physical and mental well-being of Harrison, without the extra burden of financial stress.”