Preston

Preston and his brother team up against leukemia 

Preston likes to smile, crack jokes and try to make everyone feel comfortable – even when he’s going through a lot.  

And 14-year-old Preston has been through a lot.  

In September 2022, everyone in Preston’s family got COVID-19. But Preston didn’t seem to be getting better and was looking pale. “He was lethargic, didn’t want to eat, didn’t want to get off the couch,” said Rachael, Preston’s mom. She wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to play his favorite sport: basketball.  

“I also noticed he looked really skinny. I was worried about diabetes or anemia and I knew he needed some lab work,” Rachael said.  

As her worries mounted and her sleep eroded, her momma bear instincts kicked in and she whisked Preston in the middle of the night to the Emergency Department at Children's Health℠ in Dallas.  

It turns out he was anemic, but the anemia had an underlying cause: leukemia.

In just two days, the doctors determined the type of blood and bone marrow cancer Preston had – acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – and immediately launched into treatment.  

“From that day, his cancer became our world. It’s all we could think about and deal with, all day long,” Rachael said. 

The priceless, small, good moments make chemotherapy manageable 

As they launched into three rounds of chemotherapy, the sixth floor of the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders became their home.  

“We got to know the care team really well – the nurses, therapists, and the people who clean and work in the cafeteria. At first, it’s overwhelming to have people in the halls know you by your first name. And then it becomes heartwarming that they know you and your child and it’s clear that they really want your child to get better,” Rachael said.  

Preston had no idea how it would be living in a hospital, feeling tired and mopey from chemo, and not able to run and play outside like his friends.  

Thinking back, Preston’s unwavering optimism shines through. “It was better than I thought it would be.” He remembers getting several gifts from his care team and playing pool and video games in the Child Life Zone, a safe and creative play area for patients that includes an infant play space, a play area for school-aged children and hosts activities like cooking, expressive arts,  crafts, music and more.

“I got to meet basketball Hall of Famer and Mavs legend, Dirk Nowitzki. And I had a basketball hoop in my room and some of the doctors and nurses would stay and play with me. There was only one nurse who could beat me,” he said.  

While at Children’s Health, Preston also met players from the Cowboys and the Mavericks. And, he also appreciated many visits from Child Life and Physical Therapy.

“Child Life would bring games and art projects and also explain to me what was going on, like how my central line was going to work and could help me not have to take a bunch of pills. Physical therapy came around a lot and helped me find energy to shoot hoops,” he said.

Rachael added, “His care team really made it special. Because sometimes, one good, small moment can really get you through a bad day.”

A Valentine’s to remember: Preston’s little brother becomes his superhero 

After months in the hospital, Preston’s oncology doctors determined he wasn’t responding to the initial rounds of chemo as well as they'd hoped. They started talking about bone marrow transplants. His doctors checked the donor registry, understanding that a person’s best chance of finding a donor match is with someone of the same ethnic or racial background.   

“We were shocked to find out that there were no possible matches for Preston. I’m white and my husband is black. That’s a pretty common family in America,” Rachael said.  

With no options from the donor registry, they turned to Cameron, Preston’s 7-year-old brother.  

“We were not that hopeful because there was only a 1 in 4 chance that Cameron would be a match,” Rachael said. “Thank goodness he was. I don’t know what we would have done otherwise.” 

On February 14, 2023, Valentine’s Day and National Donor Day, Cameron gave Preston something worth far more than a box of chocolates: the life-saving gift of healthy bone marrow.  

As the brothers prepared for the transplant procedure, their mom casually filmed an exchange filled with tender gratitude and brotherly joking. The video, which includes Preston calling his younger brother “my real-life superhero,” went viral and was used in several local news stories.  

Expanding awareness about bone marrow transplants and staying close to the cancer community 

After a total of 176 days in the hospital, Preston is home now. He’s in remission and cancer-free, and slowly but surely getting back to biking, soccer, swimming, more basketball and eating foods that have been off limits for too long – like strawberries.  

When he and his family are out and about and they come across a cancer run being advertised, Preston always asks, ‘Can we do that? Can we go help?’  

“He really wants to give back,” Rachael said.  

Preston is interested in volunteering with Child Life at Children’s Health, talking and playing with kids in the hospital and helping them not feel so scared.  

Preston and his mom also have a vision of writing a book to teach young children about the bone marrow transplant process. Through their own experience, they realized that a lot of people don't know much about bone marrow transplants and if they do find out about them, it’s often too late to be donors. (Donors need to be between 18 and 40 years old.) With their book, they want to better prepare young people to have the unique opportunity to save a life. 

“Most people don’t realize how easy it is to be a donor. And there’s clearly a shortage of donors, especially multiracial ones. There are so many kids like Preston who deserve to have a good match, and a good shot at a healthy life,” Rachael said. 

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