Colton W. Kopcinski was a vibrant, silly, healthy little boy living in Harrisonburg, VA with his family in 2017. He loved playing outside with his little brother and big sister, was in first grade, and was full of life and love. He loved Pokémon, Beyblades, art and music, math, jokes, and building things. He was one of the sweetest, most charming little boys you would ever meet. He was strong and healthy.
Then suddenly, in January of 2018, he started having odd symptoms that would come and go: paleness, lack of energy and appetite, and leg pain. Soon after, Colton was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML. Not only is this already a very aggressive form of childhood leukemia, but in addition Colton was found to have genetic mutations of the disease known to be extremely chemo-resistant and difficult to treat.
Colton courageously battled his AML for 18 months at several of the best hospitals in the country, including UVA and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He underwent everything from the “standard” AML treatment protocol which involved multiple rounds of harsh chemo, to some less-toxic targeted therapy treatments, to a stem cell transplant, and two clinical trials, one involving a promising, brand-new immunotherapy approach.
In the end, despite Colton’s outstanding attitude and positivity, none of the treatments were enough, and AML took his life on June 28, 2019, exactly one week after his 8th birthday. What AML never took, however, was Colton’s enthusiasm for life and his ability to find the joy in each and every day, even when he was stuck in the hospital for weeks and months at a time. His joy was contagious and inspiring and touched the lives of many people who knew him and followed his story.
Colton died because his AML was simply too aggressive and not well-enough understood. There are many other children like Colton out there, and there will continue to be many more. Cancer does not discriminate or show mercy. It is brutal. The only way to effectively fight it is by being equally as aggressive in our efforts.
One huge way to help is by funding more research, as currently only 4% of federal funding for cancer research goes towards pediatric cancers, which differ greatly from adult cancers in many ways. You can also sign up with Be The Match, which is a nationwide bone marrow donor registry. Many children with blood cancers such as Colton end up needing bone marrow or stem cell transplants, and many cannot find a good match. More donors are always needed. And of course donating blood or platelets is also a wonderful way to help. Colton easily had over a hundred transfusions throughout his treatment. These are just a few easy ways to help but they are so important and could end up saving lives.
Thank you so much to everyone who gives in honor of Colton.
– Stephanie Kopcinski
