The crowd at the game weren’t the only ones cheering on Beckett and Aiden as their parents, Kelly and Nathan, and Beckett’s baseball team, the West Carrollton Baseball Club, lined the path to first base to cheer for them as they ran.
“Baseball’s his favorite,” Kelly said on Wednesday.
Beckett was three years old when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This cancer, while having an 80% success rate, was going to take Beckett through a four-year journey. During that time, he received around 12 types of chemotherapy, 92 port infusions, over 1,200 oral chemo doses, among many other medications and procedures.
In the middle of Beckett’s fight against leukemia, the COVID-19 pandemic added extra complications. His parents agreed they couldn’t risk Beckett being exposed at school during this time, so they decided to homeschool him and his brother while Beckett received treatment.
The steroids, chemotherapy, and infusions can be difficult on a child’s body, and with Beckett having an extremely low immune system, it can be even harder. During this time, Beckett was also diagnosed with Veno-Occlusive Disease (VOD) from the high doses of medication. He was experiencing body discomfort, a bloated abdomen, and liver failure.
Now, Beckett has reached remission after having had his final treatment in April of 2021. Beckett will be returning to school at Harold Schnell, and he will also be spending more time playing baseball. He has only been playing for two years because his diagnosis and treatment prevented him from joining the team sooner.
Beckett’s parents said reaching this point in his health journey has been a relief.
“Just very blessed and fortunate to be in remission and at the end of treatment,” Kelly said about how they felt. About the Dragons’ game, she added, “This experience was another blessing to look forward.”
To learn more about Anthem Home Run for Life, please visit www.daytondragons.com/hrfl.
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