Trey Elkins: From Cancer to College
Donazione protetta
My 22-year-old cousin Trey is a living, breathing, walking, talking, cancer-surviving miracle. (He's also a dance machine.) And now that he's lived to tell his heart wrenching, yet incredibly inspiring story, he wants to help save lives by becoming a paramedic. But even with living at home and working as an EMT, Trey is struggling to afford tuition fees.
Read about Trey in airdrielife magazine HERE!
Seven years ago, at age 15, this adorable blue-eyed, blond-haired Mississipian-turned-Canadian (who has acquired quite the accent, but not yet his Canadian citizenship - the main reason why tuition fees are through the roof!) discovered a swollen, bruised area on his leg during high school football practice. Because it showed no signs of healing, my Aunt Kim, an ER nurse, took Trey to the doctor. A biopsy revealed Trey had osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer predominantly found in children and teens.
Our families were crushed. We had already lost Trey's father, my amazingly hilarious Uncle Bill, to cancer when Trey was only 5, and back when the family was living in Gautier, Mississippi. We knew the road ahead was paved with chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, bone transplants and tears. We could only hope the end result would be tears of joy. But after a sixth-month remission, Trey relapsed - the cancer had spread to his lungs. What began as a 50% survival rate over the next five years dropped to 30%. His doctors performed lung surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, but warned that osteosarcoma takes on a pattern and would likely return, even after surgery and chemotherapy.
Last year marked five whole years that Trey has been cancer-free. When he came down to visit Florida from Canada in April, all he wanted to do was normal stuff, like soak up some Vitamin D on the beach and swim in the ocean. We went paddle boarding. My dad took him boating. He sat on the end of the dock and caught a fish. He sang "Let it Go" with my nieces. We grilled steaks. We danced. And we toasted to being alive and living life.
But Trey was made to help others. His hugs are the stuff dreams are made of. An ambassador for the Children's Hospital Foundation, Trey's heart is set on continuing his education, helping people and saving lives. He's enrolled in a two-year paramedic program that specializes in critical care. But the program is costly - roughly $35,000 - much more than he can afford, even while living at home and working, so he needs your help. Please donate anything you can to help my sweet cousin reach his goal of graduating from college.
Read about Trey in airdrielife magazine HERE!
Thank you!
Loren
Trey's cousin
Doctors removed the fibula from Trey's right leg and placed it in his left leg. Here he practices physical therapy.
Trey recovers after his second chemotherapy treatment.
*Main photo by Olivia Condon, airdrielife
Read about Trey in airdrielife magazine HERE!
Seven years ago, at age 15, this adorable blue-eyed, blond-haired Mississipian-turned-Canadian (who has acquired quite the accent, but not yet his Canadian citizenship - the main reason why tuition fees are through the roof!) discovered a swollen, bruised area on his leg during high school football practice. Because it showed no signs of healing, my Aunt Kim, an ER nurse, took Trey to the doctor. A biopsy revealed Trey had osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer predominantly found in children and teens.
Our families were crushed. We had already lost Trey's father, my amazingly hilarious Uncle Bill, to cancer when Trey was only 5, and back when the family was living in Gautier, Mississippi. We knew the road ahead was paved with chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, bone transplants and tears. We could only hope the end result would be tears of joy. But after a sixth-month remission, Trey relapsed - the cancer had spread to his lungs. What began as a 50% survival rate over the next five years dropped to 30%. His doctors performed lung surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, but warned that osteosarcoma takes on a pattern and would likely return, even after surgery and chemotherapy.
Last year marked five whole years that Trey has been cancer-free. When he came down to visit Florida from Canada in April, all he wanted to do was normal stuff, like soak up some Vitamin D on the beach and swim in the ocean. We went paddle boarding. My dad took him boating. He sat on the end of the dock and caught a fish. He sang "Let it Go" with my nieces. We grilled steaks. We danced. And we toasted to being alive and living life.
But Trey was made to help others. His hugs are the stuff dreams are made of. An ambassador for the Children's Hospital Foundation, Trey's heart is set on continuing his education, helping people and saving lives. He's enrolled in a two-year paramedic program that specializes in critical care. But the program is costly - roughly $35,000 - much more than he can afford, even while living at home and working, so he needs your help. Please donate anything you can to help my sweet cousin reach his goal of graduating from college.
Read about Trey in airdrielife magazine HERE!
Thank you!
Loren
Trey's cousin
Doctors removed the fibula from Trey's right leg and placed it in his left leg. Here he practices physical therapy. Trey recovers after his second chemotherapy treatment.*Main photo by Olivia Condon, airdrielife
Organizzatore
Loren Ann Mayo
Organizzatore
Sarasota, FL