This week's LampStrong Hero of the Match is Evan Decarlo, and as part of Kick Childhood Cancer Month in partnership with No Child Fights Cancer Alone (NC4K), read more about Evan's fight with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Evan was an extremely healthy kid, very active in sports and school, and was constantly busy.
In January 2018 he came down with strep throat, which knocked him out for a week. An ominous rash developed that covered his whole body and fevers up to 104 degrees ensued.
Evan’s diagnosis wasn’t obvious.
On February 4, Super Bowl Sunday, one of Evan’s favorite days, we were told Evan had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Our blissful world shattered and our child’s life was in danger. Our team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital swarmed around us and helped us through the next few days, which were a blur. Evan had surgery to have a port placed in his chest and another to remedy a collapsed lung. Chemotherapy started on the same day.
2018 and 2019 were rough. Evan was treated with multiple rounds of chemo, received nearly 40 blood transfusions and spent many nights in NCH. Through all the hardship, pain, and sickness Evan has been a rock star. His positive attitude and smile never faltered. He is a true hero.
Evan started the maintenance cycle of his treatment in October 2018. He takes chemo at home daily and goes to NCH once a month for treatment. He will continue this cycle until he is finally done in May 2021. Evan is thriving, back in school and active in sports!
The support from our NCH team, family, friends, “Team Nemo”, NC4K, and our whole community have been a blessing in our family’s journey. Joy has returned as we navigate our “new normal” in a life with ALL.
Evan is the second LampStrong Hero of the Match this month. Starting in 2014, the LampStrong Foundation was founded by current Columbus Crew and former Ohio State University Goalkeeper and Stage IV Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor Matt Lampson.
Lampson started the organization with the goal of providing difference-making financial, emotional, and motivational support to cancer patients and families in all the stages of cancer treatment and recovery and to fund proven cancer researchers.
Now in its seventh year, the Kick Childhood Cancer campaign aims to find better cures for all types of childhood cancer, and now more than ever, provide support to one of the most vulnerable populations affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
