A cancer diagnosis changed Carson’s life—and his family’s—in a heartbeat. But CHOC and our community of supporters were with them every step of the way, and today, Carson is cancer-free.
More than just aches and pains
Carson was active like many teens, with swimming and water polo as his chosen sports during his freshman year of high school—so when he started feeling pain in his leg, he attributed it to his busy sports schedule. But after 16 weeks of physical therapy, the pain didn’t subside; a month later, his leg felt even worse, and he registered a high fever and resting heart rate. After X-raying Carson’s leg, his doctor said something was very wrong and promptly sent the teen to CHOC.
A diagnosis and a care team’s support
At CHOC, Carson learned his leg had developed Ewing sarcoma, a type of cancer that forms in bone or soft tissue and mostly affects children and young adults.
“It was a relief to finally have a reason for my constant leg pain and a specific way to treat it,” Carson says. “It was also a relief knowing I was at such a highly regarded hospital.”
CHOC’s multidisciplinary team customized a treatment plan for Carson—which started with six rounds of chemotherapy and then surgery to remove the mass from his leg.
Dr. Amir Misaghi, CHOC orthopaedic surgeon, led the team that expertly removed the football-sized tumor and most of Carson’s femur—and then reconstructed the teen’s leg. The surgery took 24 hours and had been planned using a computer-designed 3D cutting guide.
“It gave me, as a parent, comfort that Dr. Misaghi was going to take great care to get each and every bit of this tumor,” says Glen, Carson’s dad.
Philanthropy helps pave the way to hope
Following the surgery, Carson had 11 more rounds of inpatient and outpatient chemotherapy, along with 31 days of radiation and physical therapy. Throughout his treatment, he appreciated how every person on his team was always open to questions and helped him feel comfortable.
The Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department—solely supported by philanthropy—helped make Carson’s time in the hospital more enjoyable. And he got involved with the Richard C. and Virginia A. Hunsaker Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Program, which provides support for the unique needs of AYA cancer patients and survivors. Carson has even become a peer mentor to cancer patients through AYA at CHOC.
The bright future to come
While Carson missed almost a year of high school, he kept up with his classwork and was able to return as a junior. Even better, his one-year scan in September 2023 showed he was cancer-free, healthy enough to rejoin the varsity water polo team as captain and then graduate with his class.
This month—Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month—he starts as a freshman at Stanford University, where he’ll study mechanical engineering.
With a healthy lifetime ahead, Carson is grateful to CHOC and our community for giving him “a future I’m so excited about!”
