For some, fighting cancer requires a miracle. For others, it takes a supermodel.
This week, Delete Blood Cancer DKMS announced that two-year-old Chase Foley, a Syracuse boy who has suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia since he was four weeks old, has finally found a bone marrow donor — thanks, in part, to Cindy Crawford.
Crawford recently took notice of the Foley family’s campaign to find a match for Chase, and decided to act. After all, this story hits home: when she was just 10 years old, her four-year-old brother lost his own battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
On July 10, Crawford — who has been a supporter of Delete Blood Cancer CKMS since 2007 — urged her fans to register as donors for Chase. Miraculously, it took just one day for the Foley family to find a match. As of press time on July 18, the family confirmed through its Facebok page that Chase’s transplant has been scheduled for August.
But it hasn’t always come so easily for the Foleys, who decided to pack up their belongings and relocate from Syracuse to the Ronald McDonald House in Albany to focus on Chase’s treatment at Albany Medical Center.
“We try to live everyday to the fullest, because we don’t know what the next day will bring,” says Chase’s mother, Elizabeth. “We just try to get a lot of precious moments in, before it gets really bad.” Yesterday, Chase underwent a painful bone marrow test and spinal tap. “Some days are better than others,” she admits.
Thankfully, the Ronald McDonald House does its best to accommodate the patients and their families, and even offers special programs for the siblings who tend to live in the shadow of the sick child. (Recently, some children were treated to a Justin Timberlake concert.)
“Love, comfort, and hope are the main ingredients here everyday, and that’s all we can control,” says RMH Manager Debbie Ross. “We can’t control the outcome of the child, we can’t control broken hearts, but we can inspire with beautiful themed bedrooms, fresh flowers, and just hug the families with the love of our community.”
And now, the Foley family will feel the love of another celebrity: Mickey Mouse. The Make a Wish Foundation is sending them to Disney World so they can be as ready as possible for Chase’s pre-transplant radiation and chemotherapy later this month.
Get well soon, Chase.
- Stay up to date with Chase’s progress at his family’s Facebook page, Chase Away Leukemia
- Register as a donor at www.deletebloodcancer.org or www.bethematch.org
