For 10-year-old Riley and his family, the summer was not the break they were hoping for. In early June, Kacy and Cody got the news that their son had a rare form of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They were understandably sad and hoping it was all a bad dream. But from the beginning, the family decided they were going to face cancer head on and focus on staying positive.
Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is made up of vessels that run throughout the body. A colorless liquid called lymph travels through these vessels and carries white blood cells called lymphocytes. The lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus are organs in the lymphatic system that produce and store infection-fighting cells (lymphocytes.) Other organs like the tonsils, stomach, small intestine and skin also contain lymphatic tissue.
Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells when the bone marrow, where blood cells are made, makes cells that are abnormal in growth and function. The three general types of leukemias found in children are acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
It can be frightening to hear that a child has cancer or a blood disorder. At Children's Minnesota, we're experts in treating the disease and supporting the patient and family. In addition to offering advanced, individualized care for newly diagnosed children, teens and young adults up to age 26 with cancers and blood disorders, we also provide innovative treatment for rare, relapsed and recurrent cancers.