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Shortly after his birth, routine blood work revealed something wasn’t right. Mason was diagnosed with Transient Myeloproliferative Disorder (TMD), a rare blood disorder seen in some children with Down syndrome. Doctors explained that the condition would likely resolve on its own—and thankfully, it did. But they also warned us that a small number of children would later develop leukemia, making regular blood monitoring essential.
For more than a year, each appointment brought hope. Month after month, Mason’s blood work remained stable, and we gradually stretched the time between visits. Then, just before Christmas, everything changed.
At what we thought would be another routine appointment, Mason’s blood work came back abnormal. After a second round of testing confirmed the results, our 15-month-old son was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a rare bone marrow disorder treated like Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
As parents, hearing the words, “Your child has cancer,” is something impossible to prepare for. Fear, uncertainty, and heartbreak quickly replaced the excitement of watching our toddler grow.
In January 2015, Mason began six months of intensive inpatient chemotherapy at Inova Children’s Hospital. For much of that time, the hospital became our home.
Yet through every treatment, every procedure, and every difficult day, Mason reminded us what courage truly looks like.
He smiled.
He laughed.
He made friends with nurses, doctors, therapists, and families throughout the unit. He learned to walk in the hospital hallways. While we worried about tomorrow, Mason lived fully in each day, bringing joy to everyone he met.
He taught us that strength isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like a toddler smiling through circumstances no child should ever have to face.
On July 31, 2015, Mason completed treatment. Today, he is thriving and celebrating years of remission.
Although we are forever grateful for the incredible physicians, nurses, Child Life specialists, and hospital staff who cared for Mason, we also know firsthand the emotional and financial challenges families face during childhood cancer treatment.
That experience changed our family forever.
It is also why we founded Boldly Gold.
Every event we host, every dollar we raise, and every family we support is a way of honoring the people who carried us through one of the hardest seasons of our lives.
Mason’s story is the heart behind our mission—and the reason we remain committed to bringing hope to children and families facing childhood cancer.