SAT . At Just 7 Years Old, Dyson Is Learning How Cruel Cancer — and Its Treatment — Can Be
At just 7 years old, my buddy Dyson is learning a lesson no child should ever have to face — how cruel cancer can be. And heartbreakingly, not just from the disease itself, but from the very treatment meant to save his life.
Last fall, Dyson’s world changed forever when he was diagnosed with Pre B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Overnight, childhood routines were replaced with hospital rooms, IV poles, lab results, and words no parent ever wants to hear.
For a brief moment, hope arrived in the form of remission. The family allowed themselves to breathe again. But their greatest fear — the one every cancer parent quietly carries — came true.
Dyson suffered a rare and life-threatening reaction to chemotherapy, a complication so severe it nearly took his life.
He was rushed back to a hospital in San Antonio, Texas, admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and spent 18 terrifying days fighting for his life. Those days were filled with uncertainty, alarms, difficult conversations, and moments no parent is ever prepared for.
Doctors were honest with Dyson’s parents. They explained how quickly things can change — how chemotherapy can heal a child one moment and endanger their life the next. That warning doesn’t fade when a child leaves the hospital. It stays. It echoes. It becomes part of everyday life.
Today, Dyson is home again. But this is not the end of his fight.
He is preparing to enter another intense phase of treatment — one that will once again take him away from home for weeks at a time. And even beyond that, years of therapy still lie ahead.
Through it all, Dyson keeps smiling. His faith remains steady. He shows a strength far beyond his seven years. But behind every smile is a fear that never fully disappears — for him, and especially for the family who loves him more than anything.
Dyson’s aunt, Debbie, reached out to share their family’s message with other parents walking this road:
Trust your instincts. Speak up. Never ignore sudden changes during treatment.
They did — and it saved their son’s life.
This is not just Dyson’s story. It’s a warning. A reminder. And a call to listen closely.
If you are a parent who has walked this road before — or one who finds yourself listening more carefully now — what would you tell a family heading back into treatment after a scare like this?
