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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Nolan Revels passes time in his football-themed hospital room playing football video games.
The 10-year-old’s older brother, Reed, is also a sports fan, practicing his throw with a target toss game in the room.
“They’re their own team, really. It’s very cool to watch,” said their mother, Megan Revels.
The brothers are on a team that’s been building an unbreakable bond through more than medical issues. First, Reed was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive bone marrow cancer.
“When he got diagnosed, he went through chemotherapy and ended up having a bone marrow transplant,” said Megan. “Last March, when we did the genetic testing, we were trying to find a donor for Reed, we found out that Nolan, our youngest son, also carries the gene.”
That’s why Nolan is in the hospital.
“I got my cells in me and so far, they haven’t reacted yet,” said Nolan about his recent bone marrow transplant.
Dr. Natalie Booth has cared for both Reed and Nolan.
“Unfortunately, Nolan was also positive for the same gene. So, Nolan has not yet developed leukemia, which is our hope. We don’t want him to develop leukemia, which is the nidus for doing transplant and a preemptive setting to prevent Nolan from developing leukemia,” said Dr. Booth, who specializes in Pediatric Hematology Oncology.
A rare case, Dr. Booth said this was the first time Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital performed a preemptive bone marrow transplant before a patient developed leukemia.
“But for both boys to undergo this transplants within the same year is rare in of itself,” said Dr. Booth.
The boys have been leaning on each other over the last year.
“I’ve already been through this, and I’ve done about everything that you can do in the hospital. So, if he ever needs help with anything, if he has any questions, I’m just always here,” said Reed, who is now in remission and supporting his little brother.
“He makes me feel really good,” said Nolan.
Something else making him feel good: a surprise.
Spectrum Bay News 9 was there when the nonprofit organization, Casting for the Kids, surprised the family with four tickets to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game next year.
“It means everything to me, because our daughter went through this when she was two years old, and we know what just a little bit of joy comes when a family gets a surprise like this so anything we can do to help lighten the heavy weight of childhood cancer,” said Executive Director Ben Shroyer.
A family that could use some of that weight lifted during the holidays.
“I think I am most grateful for them because they are so strong,” said Megan. “They were already very close before this, but the bond is kind of like unbreakable. And with Reed’s experience, it certainly helps navigate Nolan through this very difficult process.”
An unbreakable bond between young brothers tackling their health scares together.
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Melissa Eichman
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