Standing T-ALL. Staying Strong

Senior year of high school is always an exciting adventure, but for Sam Prewitt it is truly a celebration. Sam was only 14 years old when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia or ALL for short. His form of leukemia was specific to the t-cells, known as T-ALL. According to www.healthline.com T-ALL is a subcategory of ALL. “It primarily affects early forms of cells that become T-cells. T cells are a type of white blood cell that attacks foreign invaders and produces cytokines that activate other parts of your immune system.” The bone marrow and thymus make blood stem cells (immature cells) that become mature blood cells over time. A blood stem cell may become a myeloid stem cell or a lymphoid stem cell. In Sam’s case, the t-cells did not mature correctly and collected in the thymus which caused swelling in his thymus. This caused the thymus to push on the heart. Sam’s pediatrician, Annie Baker, recognized there was a problem and recommended they go immediately to Dallas for a specialized diagnosis at Children’s Medical Center. That is when Sam recieved his diagnosis and started treatment. Sam and his family did not let this diagnosis define his future. “I wasn’t worried at first. I didn’t really know much about leukemia, so it was easy to stay positive as I was learning,” Sam said. His parents, Cliff & Lindsey, credit their faith in knowing that everything will be okay to having a strong faith in God.

His first treatment consisted of steroid injections and was immediately followed by chemotherapy. The steroids shrunk the mass considerably. Lindsey and her son lived at the hospital for a month.
Sam finished his 8th grade year as a Red Lick student remotely as well as his freshman year of high school at Texas High. It was important that he started the intense chemotherapy as soon as possible and continued for 25 days. Once the treatment was complete, he received a report of complete remission. However, Sam wasn’t out of the woods just yet. He would require maintenance chemotherapy for 3 years. Staying in the hospital for a month can really take a toll on a kid’s life, but Sam was able to stay in touch with a lot of his friends by playing Xbox. “My friends didn’t really understand what was going on with me, but they were always asking me how I was doing, ” Sam said. “Plus I got to play Xbox with them while I was at the hospital so that was nice.” The Prewitt family received a lot of support from their friends, family, and community alike. “It means a lot to know that people were asking about me, and even donating money to help with the costs of everything,” Sam said.

Sam recently rang the bell signifying the end of his chemotherapy and he is so excited to see what the next chapter holds. “I am so excited to not have to worry about my port anymore,” Sam said. “Now I can get into the water without worrying about my port.” Now that the chemotherapy is finished, Sam will have a different treatment plan for maintenance which includes monthly lab draws for a year and a half, then every two months. He will also start seeing an Oncologist that specializes in his type of cancer in adults instead of pediatrics, followed by an echo cardiogram of his heart every five years to ensure that the chemotherapy hasn’t caused any long term damage. Recently Sam and his family participated in the Tough Kookie Foundation’s First Annual Yellow Pedal Out Childhood Cancer. Participants could ride their bikes on a specific course to bring awareness and raise funds for a world without cancer. Sam’s friends and family supported him during his bike ride of about one mile. Sam is set to graduate high school in May of 2025. He plans to pursue a career in engineering. Lindsey and Cliff consider themselves incredibly blessed for both of their sons and how their last few years have played out. “God has been so good to us,” Lindsey said.