Meet Our Champions

When Noah was three years old, he woke with severe abdominal pain, labored breathing, and a fever. His condition worsened, and at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital he was diagnosed with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He immediately began chemotherapy, requiring a port, feeding tube, and extensive support as neuropathy left him unable to walk or sit up. After 830 days of treatment, Noah was declared cancer-free, but less than a year later, his cancer returned. Over the next five years, he endured more than 20 transfusions, 47 lumbar punctures, multiple central lines, and over 120 nights in the hospital. He relearned to walk through years of occupational and physical therapy. Today, Noah is cancer-free once again. With more than 4,000 Beads of Courage marking his medical journey, for things like needle pokes and procedures, his resilience continues to inspire his family and care team each and every day