All-Star Shepherd

“When Pinky Swear paid our mortgage in December 2024, it felt like a ray of sunshine in a world full of storm clouds.” - All-Star Shepherd’s dad, Alex.

Shepherd is a happy little three-year old who wants everything to be a race. But in late 2023, the toddler who likes chasing the animals at his family’s home found himself in a race for his life.

At first, Shepherd’s symptoms seemed strange, but initially mild. He wasn’t sleeping, but the little boy’s doctor thought his sleeplessness was the result of night terrors.

But Shepherd’s symptoms continued to worsen around the end of 2023. His stomach was hard and tight. He had red dots, or petechiae, on his limbs. His parents also noticed more and more unexplained bruises on their son’s body. His skin was pale, almost ghostly white.

His doctor gave him an antibiotic for an ear infection and ordered blood work. When the results came back, Shepherd’s parents were told to take him to the emergency room immediately.

More tests were done. Then an oncologist came to see them. The doctor gave them the life-changing news: Shepherd had leukemia.

Alex said he was in denial at first. “I was still thinking, no. He is having these symptoms because he needs to eat more vegetables,” Alex said.

But Shepherd’s mom, Tanya, understood right away.

They took turns staying at the hospital that first week. One would spend the day with him, and they traded off at night. When one was at the hospital with Shepherd, the other was at home taking care of his older sister and the farm animals, which included some sheep, chickens, and two dogs.

Alex, a project manager for an engineering company, tried to participate in online meetings when he was at the hospital, but it was difficult. It seemed as if nurses came into their room every 10 minutes. So, he tried to make up that time at night, thanks to the flexibility offered by his company. Even with his company’s flexibility, Alex worried about keeping up and doing a good job.

Unexpected hospitalizations threw a wrench in an already taxing cancer journey. They require additional trips to the clinic, overnights, and additional medical support. Shepherd has been hospitalized two times for his immunotherapy treatment, plus two unplanned visits when his port, which delivers his chemotherapy directly to his bloodstream, became infected.

In Shepherd’s case, hospital visits were even more of a challenge because the clinic was 90 minutes away from their home. They were grateful when a new medical campus opened less than an hour away, making it easier for them to get to appointments.

Alex and Tanya, a stay-at-home mom, said they tried to tell Shepherd’s sister about his cancer. She perhaps didn’t initially understand the severity of the diagnosis, since she told her classmates, “My brother is sicker than we thought.”

Oftentimes, it is the unexpected things that make cancer treatment the hardest. There are side effects to everything children are required to take to handle treatment. A steroid given to Shepherd during the initial phase of his treatment made him quick to anger, made him constantly hungry, and made it difficult for him to sleep, Alex said.

“Imagine the terrible twos, but literally on steroids,” he said.

The family snuck in naps when they could, reduced their social obligations, and tried to take life one day at a time. The family reflected on all that Shepherd has missed by not being a “normal toddler,” like interactions with other kids. They missed their uneventful life.

Despite the hardships, they welcomed a new baby in January 2025, and Shepherd has reached an easier phase of his treatment, which won’t end until 2026. “We have become guilty of just trying to survive, rather than thrive,” Alex said. “We have had to put our lives on hold and give up normal things like going on vacation. But we’re trying to get back to normal.”

Alex and Tayna said they are thankful for everyone who has helped them on their journey, including and especially the Pinky Swear Foundation.

“The whole cancer thing didn’t feel fair. When we got the support, it felt like a way to restore balance,” Alex said. “I am a person who has a hard time asking others for help, so having to ask for help also felt unfair, but hearing about Mitch and his original ‘Pinky Swear’ has made me so glad that we did ask for help.”

Shepherd is doing well these days, considering what he’s been through. He likes dinosaurs, baseball, and construction equipment. He loves to play outside, catch the wayward chickens, and zip around on his bike.

“If you were to describe him in one word, the first word would be fun, and the second word would be competitive,” his dad said. “He wants everything to be a race.”

A race he is winning.