Will Walker

Will Walker is a typical 9 year old boy from Hazel Green, AL. He loves the outdoors, swimming, biking and go carts. He likes going to school and playing football for the Trojans. His passion is for Alabama football and hopes to play on the team one day and after that he would like to join the military. But this is where normal ends for Will.

It all started with a fever on June 22nd. His mother took him to the doctor the following day and even though his tests came back negative for the flu and strep his doctor gave him antibiotics because he had all the symptoms. But he still didn't get better and now his legs were hurting. After a couple of hours at Huntsville ER and tests the doctors came back with news that no mother wants to hear. It could wither be a bone infection or leukemia. Will traveled to St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, TN that night by Hemsi and had a bone marrow aspiration done first thing in the morning. That afternoon it was confirmed that Will had AML with an abnormal genetics FLT-3. A week after what started out as a harmless fever, Will had started chemotherapy. After his second round of chemo Will's body was not responding well. It was retaining fluid which was affecting his kidneys, liver and spleen. His lungs were filling with fluid and his heart was getting weaker. He was admitted to the ICU and was put on a ventilator and filtration to drain off the fluid. Six weeks later after many battles and complications, including a hole in his lung, Will was finally able to leave the ICU. His MRD showed no cancer in his bone marrow which was a huge relief. It had been over 2 months since his last chemo treatment due to the complications which landed him in the ICU.

The family is praying that he will be able to complete his treatment without further complications and hope to be back in Alabama by the start of the New Year. His mom asks that you pray for Will because he is a fighter and "if there is a Will, there is a Way!"