Be #LucasStrong - Help Lucas Beat Leukemia

I’m Lucas’s Dad, Eric. We’re raising funds to help Lucas (6) and our Family while he conquers Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L.) at Providence Medical Center in Anchorage, AK.

Lucas's leukemia story so far........

In early February Lucas randomly complained of his feet/ankles being sore. Being an active and growing 6yr old, we chalked it up to growing pains. He had been eating more than usual,and seemed due for a growth spurt....so it made sense.

Feb 15th we headed to Hawaii for some sunshine. Lucas continued to complain of sore ankles and feet, and sometimes his left shin while we were on vacation. We'd rub his feet and legs and he'd put on a tough face and move on.....

We noticed he seemed kind of lazy, didn't want to swim in the pool the entire time (which is COMPLETELY out of character for Lucas), and that he was laying around a lot more, and sleeping more as well.....again, we figured he was a growing boy, and maybe just needed more rest. Nobody was going to give him a hard time about being lazy on vacation...

Feb 28th we got home to Eagle River, and resumed "normal life" on Wednesday March 1st. Both Lucas and his brother, Nathan, went to school Wednesday through Friday and all was good. After school on Friday, both boys took the dogs on a walk around the block. When they returned, Lucas complained his feet, ankles and left leg (below the knee) were all hurting. He got on the couch and stayed there until he cried himself to sleep around 7pm.....at that point, it was decided something was wrong.

Saturday he woke up, crawled from his room to the couch, and immediately fell back to sleep. Kim (Mom) took Lucas to ER where she explained that this is completely out of character, and described the pain he had complained of. Lucas fell asleep more than once while at ER....

Blood work was performed at Kim's insistence (and unbeknownst to us...labs were confirmed a second time before delivering the news), and then they told Kim......

...."preliminary bloodwork indicates leukemia"

I received a call from Kim's phone at 5:46pm, but Kim wasn't on the other end of the call. It was a PA named Alana, and she asked me to come in as soon as I could, I said I could, "but why."....she said "it looks like Lucas has Leukemia". It was a blur. Lucas hasn't been home since that morning of March 4th.

Kim immediately left her work at Ravenwood Elementary School so she could be with Lucas full-time, and Kim's parents flew into ANC on the earliest flight they could book on March 5th. Nana and Papa have been HUGE in making sure "life at home" keeps moving forward while Lucas beats leukemia.

The following Monday the Pediatric Oncology Team at Providence obtained a bone marrow sample from Lucas's hip. Sample was sent to Seattle Children's Hospital for a full pathology report. The results we received on Tuesday confirmed that Lucas had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (A.L.L.). As terrifying as this sounds, it was a win..... A.L.L. can be treated in Anchorage, which meant no private med-flight to Seattle Children's Hospital (Thank goodness). It was also positive news because this type of leukemia is extremely treatable, has a very high success rate, and most pediatric patients respond amazingly to treatment. Essentially, his oncology team knew exactly what to do.

Meeting with our oncologist that Tuesday was one of the hardest meetings I've ever had, but Kim and I left the room feeling optimistic....scared, but optimistic. We were told 97% of Lucas's blood cells were currently infected with Leukemia....but, we get to stay in Alaska, and we now have a plan...time to get to work.

Lucas required blood and platelet transfusions before he could start his chemo. Unfortunately, he also developed a blood infection, which meant he was placed on a heavy-duty antibiotic for 7 days (started on March 7th). Even worse, this meant he couldn't get his port installed prior to beginning his treatment. His Oncologist opted to place a PICC line so we could still begin his treatment ASAP. Lucas will eventually get his port at a later date, but starting chemo is priority #1.

That Thursday March 9th, Lucas received his first chemotherapy, three doses in total. He received one chemo directly into his spine via Lumbar Puncture...(oof), and two other chemo's through his PICC line. During that first lumbar puncture, they also took a sample of spinal fluid to test for leukemia.

We heard the next day that Lucas's spinal fluid DID in fact contain leukemia. This means the leukemia was present in his Central Nervous System (CNS)....spinal fluid and the fluid around his brain. It was terrifying. This change resulted in Lucas's diagnosis status being changed to "high-risk". It really didn't change a lot for the first month of treatment (known as the Induction Phase). Only now he'd receive weekly lumbar pokes (instead of two, total) and he'd get a different dose of steroids for two weeks instead of all 29 days.

It didn't change what was immediately in front of us, so we pressed on....one task, one procedure, one blood draw, one antibiotic, one blood or platelet transfusion at a time. However, it DID mean we were going to be staying at Providence for longer.

Week one after his first chemo was rough. That's about it......leukemia sucks

Lucas got to see his brother for a few hours, and that was the highlight of the week, by far. It was the best medicine that could've been prescribed.

Telling Nathan that his little brother had leukemia is something I can't describe, but I told him that I'd tell him the truth the entire time, and that we may as well be scared together. Nathan has done SO well through all of this. He's mature beyond his age.

On Induction Day #8 (Thursday, March 16th) he got his second round of chemo. A lumbar poke was performed, and they took another sample of the fluid. Only this time, his spinal fluid contained "No Detectable Leukemia"......in seven days after his first treatment.....SEVEN DAYS...incredible.

He's been collecting his "Beads of Courage" throughout this fight. Each bead represents a different task, procedure, milestone, etc. It's a wonderful program, and we've been told his string of beads will probably be 10-15ft long when he's done! It's almost as tall as he is already, and we're just over three weeks in.

Last week he did his third Thursday with all three chemos.....he knows the drill and does absolutely amazing...they collected the same spinal fluid sample, and again, "No detectable leukemia" in his CNS. He's beating it.

It's now March 28th @ 1045pm and I am writing this all down as if it's new information, but we've been going for 24 days now....it feels like a year, and it also feels like an instant.

Lucas is doing really well. He has started acting like himself and making the same goofy jokes and comments that we've been missing for a couple months now. He seems to have more energy, and he is always doing his best to be in a good mood. The other day he proudly stated..."well, I haven't worn underwear in like three weeks...."...he must be feeling better.

Lucas has also been on a steady regimen of zofran, so he hasn't really been sick at all, it's a blessing. Each week he does better and better until we get to Thursday/Friday, then he starts over again. He was also placed on gabapentin for help with nerve pain, which is a side effect of one of his chemo's. Since being put on gabapentin last Wednesday, he hasn't had a single pain med, not even chewable tylenol. Plus, he's been out of bed and walking at least three times each day. It's very encouraging to see how well he is doing.

He is so tough, and he has no idea. I don't think Kim and I have been able to take many pictures of him without a smile on his face. Despite everything his little body has been through, he's a trooper. He enjoys playing games on his switch, playing (he'd say BEATING) his Nana in Uno, facetiming with his brother and grandparents in Colorado, watching youtube videos, and I think he's trying to watch every disney movie he can find. His appetite is impressive, to say the least. He's actually gained weight since his admission to the hospital.

If all goes well, on April 7th we'll receive the full pathology report from his bone marrow sample, and it will be nothing but good news.

April 18th is the day we'll begin phase 2 (known as Consolidation). We've been told it's difficult.....but that's OK, it's all difficult. His Oncology Team will be putting together a plan based on the results we receive on April 7th, and we'll press on. "Consolidation" phase should last somewhere in the 6-8 month range.

Lucas, Kim, Nathan and I want to thank our Family (near and far), Friends, FRamily, Doctors, Nurses, PA's, Bosses, Coworkers, Teachers, Neighbors, everyone at The Crossing & Birchwood Christian School......absolutely EVERYONE for all of your help & support. It means more than we can say.

I'll post updates so we can all fight together with Lucas through every step of this journey. He has a long road ahead, but he's a tough little boy that will beat Leukemia....no doubt in my mind, 100%

We appreciate every single Prayer, gift card, note, puzzle, game, meal, doordash, handshake, hug and all of the kind words we received from everyone.

Thank you to everyone from the entire Kozlowski Family -

Be #LucasStrong