Meet Wyatt, who doesn’t let his cancer get in the way of living
Despite facing chemotherapy treatment for his leukemia, Wyatt has taught his family that there’s no reason to stop living. With the help of his care team at Children’s Health℠, Wyatt is now on track to finish treatment a year earlier than expected.
When Wyatt’s mom noticed his “really big,” bloated belly, she tried giving him gummies that help kids with constipation.
The then-4-year-old’s tummy had been slowly increasing in size for days, but she had hoped it would go back to normal on its own. Wyatt hadn’t experienced any changes in behavior or energy, fevers or other symptoms, so his mom, Alysia, had tried not to worry.
But now, his tummy looked too big to ignore, so she and his dad, James, took him to their pediatrician.
After running some inconclusive lab work, their pediatrician told the family to head straight to Children’s Health, an hour away from their home.
At the hospital, physicians ran more tests to find out what was going on with Wyatt’s belly, including an X-ray, a CT scan and an ultrasound.
After ruling out all other possibilities, physicians came back to the family with Wyatt’s diagnosis — B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer.
Suddenly, on that late July afternoon in 2024, Children’s Health became the hospital Wyatt and his family would visit almost every Tuesday for his chemotherapy treatment.
‘People who genuinely care’
From the beginning of Wyatt’s journey at Children’s Health, his care team helped share the weight of his diagnosis with his family.
“They made Wyatt as comfortable as he could possibly be,” Alysia said. “That’s what made us feel comfortable. It was a scary time at that point, but it never felt as scary as it was because of the people around us.”
Their care team moved quickly but made sure to take their time to walk Wyatt through every test and procedure and answer his family’s questions or concerns.
They gave Wyatt a blanket and toy and helped distract him by putting on movies for him. Someone even stopped by to draw a beach on their emergency room door, which made the family smile and remains a magical memory.
A volunteer also stayed by the family’s side the entire time, ready to escort them wherever they needed to go. She became a familiar face for Wyatt during his initial experience at the hospital.
Such moments of compassionate care set the tone for what the rest of the family’s experience at Children’s Health would look like.
It’s so awesome to see how these people continue and continue to pour into your child. They are there for you through the hardest times. I love seeing people who genuinely care every time you come to the hospital. It’s remarkable.
— Alysia, Wyatt's mom
Facing the impossible with the help of others
During his visits to Children’s Health for his chemotherapy treatment, Wyatt likes to visit the playrooms to paint or make bracelets.
He’s made many friends there, both younger and older, who mightily face the impossible every day, just like him.
“It’s been really important for him to connect with other children and see he isn’t the only one going through it,” Alysia said.
He also loves ordering room service (mostly, he requests spaghetti), dropping by Seacrest Studios to play trivia, playing with the hospital’s music therapists and collecting the Children’s Health Pet Therapy dogs’ trading cards.
But Wyatt’s journey hasn’t been without its challenges. He lost his hair, which made him feel self-conscious; became irritable after some procedures; and had to learn to slow down and be still when he felt nauseous, a side effect of chemotherapy.
To help him process what he was going through a couple of months after arriving at the hospital, Children’s Health child life specialists began incorporating play therapy into his care plan.
Play therapy helps children understand their medical treatment and develop better skills for coping with serious illnesses. It can also help young patients regain control over stressful situations and reduce their anxiety, fear and other negative reactions.
“That helped him have a good relationship with the hospital,” Alysia said. “He feels in control when he goes to the hospital. It’s been really powerful for him. It made him feel like he had a voice.”
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Making strides toward the end of his treatment
Children’s Health is home to one of the nation’s largest childhood leukemia programs, offering the latest, groundbreaking treatments.
After a new immunotherapy drug called Blinatumomab, which had been recently developed to treat B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia — the same kind of cancer Wyatt is facing — the family’s physicians talked to the family about including it in their son’s treatment plan.
After the drug’s clinical trials were closed early because the treatment was working so well, doctors rushed to make it available to more children.
Wyatt first received the treatment through an infusion at the hospital for a week. Then, his family was able to take the medicine, which comes in a backpack, home for the rest of the 28-day treatment.
Now, physicians expect Wyatt to reach the end of his treatment by September, a year earlier than expected.
As Children’s Health prepares for the future by building the new pediatric campus in Dallas, a joint investment with UT Southwestern Medical Center, Wyatt’s family is looking forward to seeing how the health system will help make life better for more kids.
The new campus will further our ability to pioneer innovative academic research and lifesaving technology and treatments with an exclusive focus on the unique needs of children.
“This will help more and more kids experiencing from the smallest to the biggest of things,” Alysia said. “Being able to provide a safe, lovable environment not just for the kids, but for the whole community is amazing.”
‘The same little boy with the fiery spirit’
Wyatt, now 6 years old, continues to have the same energetic, bubbly spirit he had before starting his care journey. His hair has mostly grown back, too.
We didn’t know what our future would hold with this diagnosis, but everyone at Children's Health taught us, guided us and treated us with respect, kindness and grace. It’s because of them that Wyatt has remained the same little boy with the fiery spirit throughout his ongoing treatment — and for that we are so grateful.
— Alysia, Wyatt's mom
Wyatt continues to take a chemotherapy pill each morning and visits the hospital every Tuesday for treatment. He often comes prepared to share a smile with new friends and has a knack for making others feel special.
He’s confident, ready to conquer the day as soon as he’s out of bed and isn’t afraid to tell people about his cancer journey or ask hard questions.
“He’ll cheer you up with a hug or surprise people by remembering their name,” Alysia said. “He’s a light. He always brings happiness and fun to something that can be so serious and daunting.”
After attending camp last summer, he started kindergarten, a proud moment for his parents.
Wyatt dreams of one day becoming an undercover agent.
“Wyatt has grown into a remarkable little human,” Alysia said. “I always tell him, ‘If you can accomplish these hard things at such a little age, can you imagine what you’ll be able to do later on?’”
His family’s experience has taught them how precious life is — and seeing Wyatt smiling and playing outside despite facing the impossible teaches them each day that it’s important to live life to the fullest.
“He’ll have the craziest day, and I’ll suggest being still for a minute, but he’s unstoppable,” Alysia said. “He’s taught us a lot as parents. Adults tend to dwell on things for so long, and Wyatt will get over things quickly. He doesn’t let anything get in the way of living.”
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