Sammy, Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Samuel Allen Shelton (Sammy) was born on February 12, 2018, to his parents, Caleb and Stacie Shelton. He has two older brothers, Hudson, 10, and Benjamin, 8. They reside in Watertown, New York.

Sammy was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia when he was just seven months old. He spent the next six months as a patient at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, New York. On April 2, 2019, he rang the cancer-free bell, signifying the end of treatment, and was able to return home.

The following month Sammy and his family attended Camp Sunshine, a camp in Maine for children with special medical needs. The family’s vacation was unexpectedly cut short when Sammy relapsed and was immediately taken back to Golisano Children’s Hospital. He was extremely ill with leukemia again; the doctors recommended a life-saving bone marrow transplant. However, he would need to be in complete remission before the transplant could occur.

After two months of residing at the hospital in Syracuse with his parents, Sammy was finally well enough to travel to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for the bone marrow transplant. Finding a bone marrow match is much more difficult than matching blood types. Sammy’s immediate family members were tested, but no match was found. When the search was expanded, a 100% match was found from a donor registry in Germany. A small package of cells traveled with a courier all the way to Rochester on September 24, 2019, and the doctors were ready to complete the procedure.

This was a very emotional time as his family anxiously awaited the news they were so desperately hoping for. They were finally told that the transplant was a success and in December, Sammy was able to go home. His brothers, who had been lovingly cared for by their grandmother during all this time, were relieved to have everyone together again. His family is so grateful for the care that Sammy received and for the overseas donation that saved his life.

Sammy has been cancer-free since that time, but he continues to deal with side effects from chemotherapy and other treatments, which have taken a toll on his little body. He has a G-Tube in his stomach to aid in eating and administering his multiple medications. He also has neurological issues, neuropathy and receives several different therapies each and every week. Many specialists still monitor his condition very carefully.

Despite all he has been through, Sammy is a happy, fun-loving boy who loves to play with dinosaurs and ride his tricycle. He and his brothers are home-schooled by their mom, and he especially enjoys learning the alphabet, writing his name, and reading books. The doctors all say he is a “miracle baby,” and his family certainly agrees. Sammy is a little fighter who loves everyone and continues to be “Sammy Strong.”