FORT SENECA, Ohio — A young boy is looking forward to a Disney trip after overcoming leukemia thanks to a California-based non-profit.
It was in the early days of the pandemic when Ashley Root, from Tiffin, noticed her son Landon was having leg pain, and red spots appeared on his skin.
Ashley and her husband Michael took Landon to the doctor where they got the news: Landon had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an aggressive and fast-moving form of cancer.
Starting then, his parents felt the stress of having to take Landon in and out of the hospital constantly, as did the rest of the family.
"It's definitely heart-wrenching. Especially when they're so used to just being with me 24/7, all the time," said Ashley.
Landon's father Michael was often at work providing for the family, and says it was difficult not always being with his son.
"Every time I had to leave, I felt like I wasn't there for him. Even though I was providing for him, I wish I was there for him the whole time," said Michael.
Later that summer, in July, doctors studied Landon's bone marrow, and found something promising.
"They found that he had no leukemia cells in his blood. That way we knew exactly, the medicine was working," said Ashley.
Landon's parents say his cancer is now considered in remission, and even though he'll still need some treatment, his parents are thankful he's healthy.
"It's a lot better than 2020, I know that," said Michael, smiling.
Eventually, Ashley reached out to California-based non-profit One at a Time with Landon's case. Soon after, the organization wanted to sponsor him.
"I had reached out to them and told them about Landon's condition and within two weeks we had the campaign set up," said Ashley.
The group is working to send Landon, his mom and dad, an older sister and younger brother, to Disney World once they raise the necessary money.
"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something like that, but I'd rather have him not go through stuff like this," said Michael.
The One at a Time campaign is looking to raise $5,000 to send Landon and his family to Disney World. If you'd like to donate, you can do so through the One at a Time website, PayPal, or Venmo.
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