Caleb is a caring, compassionate kid who wants to be everyone’s friend. He often tells his parents, Christina and Troy, that he wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up.
In early 2023, he started complaining about pain in his legs. Because he had always been a more sensitive child, Christina and Troy, initially thought it might just be growing pains. But when he began waking up screaming in pain, they knew something more serious was going on.
At a routine well-child appointment, Christina asked his doctor what was going on. They agreed it could be growing pains, but decided to order X-rays and blood work just to be safe. The X-rays came back normal, but his lab results raised concerns.
Caleb was referred to a hematologist, who initially suspected juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. They ordered more blood work to check for everything they possibly could. When one test came back abnormal for lupus, the doctor sent it to pathology for further review. By 10 a.m. that same day, Caleb’s parents received the news no parent ever wants to hear: “We’re admitting your son to the hospital. He has leukemia.”
For a five-year-old who loved being social and playing with friends, it was hard to understand why he suddenly had to stay in the hospital.
“Why am I here? I’m not sick!” Caleb would tell his mom and dad.
“Buddy, your blood is sick,” they gently explained.
For the next two years, Caleb spent much of his time away from friends and classmates. Instead of starting kindergarten alongside his peers, he attended school online. His family had to be extremely careful about who came into their home because of his fragile immune system. The isolation was difficult for Caleb, and being separated from other children at such an important stage of development caused him to lose many of the social skills and friendships he would have had otherwise. It was tough, and the ripple effects of his condition were profound.
Throughout his treatment, Caleb was regularly visited by Lemon and Posey, our facility dogs at Rocky Mountain Children’s, bringing him the comfort and reassurance he needed.
“Posey got Caleb through so much,” Christina said. “If she was there, he knew he would be okay.”
The family’s dog Holly was getting older, and they had already been discussing getting another dog. Even before Caleb’s diagnosis, they wanted a dog that could be his companion, and his experience with Posey helped highlight how much of a difference dogs make for him. They had started looking before he was hospitalized, but after treatment began, having a constant friend at home felt even more important. That’s when one of their nurses told them about the Stink Bug Project, our dog training and adoption program that supports children with loving companion animals.
Through the program, the family adopted Winston — a fluffy, 70-pound lap dog who quickly became Caleb’s new best friend.
Winston immediately offered the comfort and support Caleb needed at home. After hard days, Caleb could curl up and cuddle with him, and on the good days, Winston was there to roughhouse and play.
Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation is here to support kids like Caleb and ensure their families have what they need to navigate their child’s illness. In Caleb’s case, this support extended even beyond the comfort and companionship Posey and Winston provided. With many long trips to and from the hospital, it was getting expensive to cover the cost of gas, but RMCHF stepped in to ease that burden.
“Even half a tank of gas made a difference for us while we were in the thick of it,” Christina said.
For Caleb’s family, the support they received from Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation made an incredible difference throughout every stage of treatment. From the comfort of therapy dogs to the practical help of gas cards during long hospital days, each act of kindness reminded them they were not facing childhood cancer alone.
Caleb completed treatment last year and got to ring the bell to celebrate the end of his cancer journey. Posey and Lemon were there to celebrate with him, and Winston eagerly waited at home, ready to continue making memories for years to come.
Today, Caleb is back to being a kid — playing, laughing, making friends, and creating memories with Winston by his side. After everything their family has endured, Christina hopes supporters understand just how meaningful their generosity truly is.
“Thank you never feels like enough for everything they did for our family while we were going through this,” Christina said. “They made our journey so much easier. During the rough months, just knowing we had options and knowing there were people there to help lifted such a huge weight off of us.”
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Thank you to our community for making stories like this possible! To learn more about how you can get involved and help us support sick kids and their families, visit rmchildren.org/ways-to-give.