Aaron Caleb 

Our hero is our younger son, Aaron Caleb, who is now seven years old. We are from Sri Lanka.

Aaron was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) shortly after his sixth birthday in 2025. Before that day, we knew nothing about blood cancer. Like most families, we never imagined it would become part of our lives. Overnight, we were forced to learn about leukemia, chemotherapy, hospital stays, blood counts, infections, and living with uncertainty.

After four months of intensive chemotherapy, we received the news we had been praying for—he was in remission.

The first thing Aaron said with the biggest smile was:

“Yay! Finally, I can go back to school and church again!”

As parents, we thought our nightmare was finally over. We thanked God for that precious blessing and believed we could begin rebuilding our lives.

But in February 2026, our world collapsed once again.

Aaron relapsed.

Aaron was diagnosed with high-risk AML with the rare genetic mutations DEK::NUP214 fusion, KRAS mutation, and EZH2 (16) [NM_004456.5] c.1945G>C p.Glu649Gln. Hearing those words for the second time shattered our hearts. It felt as though everything we had fought so hard for had disappeared in a moment.

Even then, we found hope. We thought, “At least he can have a bone marrow transplant.”

However, after reviewing Aaron’s rare genetic mutations, his treating pediatric oncologist explained that he urgently needed advanced therapies, such as CAR-T cell therapy, before a transplant could offer him the best chance. That news broke us all over again.

Those treatments are not available in Sri Lanka, and the cost is far beyond anything our family could ever afford. Since then, we have written to hospitals around the world, clinical trial teams, charities, humanitarian organizations, and anyone who might be able to help. Although we have received many kind replies, we have not yet found the opportunity Aaron desperately needs.

But we refuse to give up.

Like every parent fighting for their child, we continue searching every single day for a way to get him the treatment that could save his life. Through it all, Aaron continues to dream of only one thing…

Going back to school with his friends.

What amazes me most is not just Aaron’s strength, but his heart.

He rarely complains. He endures painful treatments, countless needles, and long hospital stays with incredible courage. Sometimes I ask him if he is hurting, and he simply smiles because he doesn’t want Mama to feel sad. His bravery gives us the strength to keep going, even on the hardest days.

Only families walking through childhood cancer truly understand this journey. Every fever brings fear. Every blood test feels like a mountain. Every phone call from the hospital changes your heartbeat.

As parents, we constantly wonder…

“What will happen next?”
“How will we face it?”

The hardest part is living with the fear of losing the child you love more than your own life.

During this journey, our faith has become our greatest source of peace. The gospel has given our family hope when everything around us felt hopeless. We are deeply grateful for every person who has prayed for Aaron, encouraged us, cried with us, and walked beside us. Your love has carried us through days when we felt we could not take another step.

Above all, I am grateful for Aaron’s beautiful spirit.

Even at just seven years old, he believes that everything will be okay because God hears his prayers. Every night before he sleeps, Aaron prays for three simple things:

That he will get better soon…

That his hair won’t fall out anymore…

And that he can have his little “mushroom haircut” back.

Those simple prayers remind us what truly matters.

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, my prayer is not only for Aaron, but for every child fighting cancer around the world. I pray that researchers will continue discovering new

treatments and cures. I pray that every child, regardless of where they are born or how much money their family has, will have access to the advanced treatments they need.

No child should lose the chance to dream because of where they live.

Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up, laugh, go to school, chase their dreams, and find their place on earth.

Our journey is not over yet.

We continue to pray.
We continue to hope.
We continue to wait for our miracle to happen.

And we continue to believe that one day Aaron will walk back into his classroom, carrying his backpack, wearing his favorite mushroom haircut, with a smile that says:

“I’m finally home.” 💛🎗️