Mason was like every other five-year-old; very active, loved to be silly and chose eating chicken nuggets over anything else. But late last year, Mason’s behavior shifted. “His dad and I started to realize that he wasn’t acting like himself,” shared Kendra, Mason’s mom. “He was very pale, lost a lot of weight, and had big splotchy bruises all over his body just from laying around on the couch.” That’s when Kendra’s motherly instincts kicked in. “I just knew something wasn’t right.” After a number of visits to the doctor, Mason was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and immediately started treatment.

After Mason’s first round of treatment, he went home. About two weeks later, he was hospitalized again – this time with problems relating to his liver. He was admitted to the ICU where he was later intubated. “His liver was shutting down, his kidneys were shutting down, and he was super inflamed,” shared Kendra. It was then that Mason was diagnosed with HLH, also known as acquired hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. HLH is an immune system disease that impacts the spleen, liver, and, in Mason’s case, the lungs.

While receiving treatment for HLH in the ICU, Mason began making great progress. His lungs began clearing out and he was getting stronger all around. No longer needing treatment for HLH, Mason was then moved out of the ICU. After being bedridden for two months, not moving much at all, his body took a toll. Mason needed to build up his strength to safely go home. “Because he was sitting so long, they were worried that his lungs would get gunky again. He needed to be up and moving to help clear them out,” shared Kendra. “They said the only way to get him strong fast was to get intense inpatient physical therapy. La Rabida was the place to do that and would help him be able to come home to us.”

When Mason arrived at La Rabida, it was clear that his mobility had been severely impacted. The lack of movement while in the ICU hindered his abilities. The inpatient physical therapy that Mason receives at La Rabida is helping to reverse those effects. “Every single day he makes huge strides,” shared Kendra. “I can’t believe it – I want to cry every single day because he’s standing now. It’s unbelievable how much progress he’s made.”

With physical therapy sessions daily, Mason and his team of therapists are working together to build up his stamina and strength. “Every day he’s hopping up on the bed, moving his legs more, and he’s able to really stand and walk. It’s incredible the way that just a couple weeks ago he couldn’t stand on his legs without buckling his knees. Now he’s doing fantastic.”

“This whole year has been a whirlwind,” shared Kendra. “Mason’s doing amazing, though. He has a few more weeks of therapy and another round of treatment coming up, but he’s a strong kid. He is doing fantastic.”

This story was featured in the May 2020 issue of eCurrents, La Rabida's monthly newsletter. To view the May issue of eCurrents, click here.