Trace's fight against T-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia & Mediastinal Mass

04/09/2026

Update on Trace!

In just 2 days, Trace went through 5 hours of driving, 16 hours of treatment, his 20th spinal tap with chemo into his spine, IVIG, and a neurology appointment. To say his body is exhausted is an understatement.

Trace is home now and resting. His nightly chemo has been increased, but everything went as good as it possibly could have. We are so thankful for that. 🧡

We will head back on April 29th for additional treatment.

366 days until Trace rings the bell! 🔔 One day closer.

Thank you all for continuing to pray, love, and support our family. It truly means more than we can ever say.

🧡Rachael

Update on Trace!

Trace has been doing really good lately! Thank you, Jesus! 🧡

We head down tomorrow evening for a couple of days. Trace has a neurology appointment and chemotherapy scheduled. He will also be having his 20th spinal tap with chemo into his spine, along with an IVIG treatment. These are big appointments, and not ones he’s looking forward to!

Only 369 days until Trace rings the 🔔! One day at a time, getting closer and closer.

We are praying everything goes smoothly and that his body handles everything well.

Thank you all for continuing to pray, love, and support our family. It means more than we can ever say. 🧡

Rachael

04/07/2026

Update on Trace!

Trace has been doing really good lately! Thank you, Jesus! 🧡

We head down tomorrow evening for a couple of days. Trace has a neurology appointment and chemotherapy scheduled. He will also be having his 20th spinal tap with chemo into his spine, along with an IVIG treatment. These are big appointments, and not ones he’s looking forward to!

Only 369 days until Trace rings the 🔔! One day at a time, getting closer and closer.

We are praying everything goes smoothly and that his body handles everything well.

Thank you all for continuing to pray, love, and support our family. It means more than we can ever say. 🧡

Rachael

03/12/2026

Update on Trace

Trace is home and doing well! It was a great visit, and his counts were so good that an IVIG infusion wasn’t needed.

He’s off to get some much needed rest over the next couple of days. He will return on April 8th for several appointments.

We are officially on the countdown to ringing that bell, 395 days to go!

Thank you all for continuing to pray for and support our boy. We are so thankful for the good day today.

🧡 Rachael

Update on Trace

After 27 days fighting the flu, Trace is finally doing better. It has been a long stretch, to say the least!

Tomorrow, Trace and his dad will head down to Arthur Blank for chemotherapy and another IVIG infusion. I’m a little nervous about the possibility of another reaction, but I’m trusting that everything will go smoothly this time.

Thank you all for continuing to love on our family and for the prayers and support.

🧡 Rachael

03/11/2026

Update on Trace

After 27 days fighting the flu, Trace is finally doing better. It has been a long stretch, to say the least!

Tomorrow, Trace and his dad will head down to Arthur Blank for chemotherapy and another IVIG infusion. I’m a little nervous about the possibility of another reaction, but I’m trusting that everything will go smoothly this time.

Thank you all for continuing to love on our family and for the prayers and support.

🧡 Rachael

02/08/2026

After a long night, I think we are finally headed home later today after Trace’s chemo treatment. They slowed his IVIG infusion down to run over 8 hours, and he was able to receive it all without further reaction. His counts came up just a little, and since he’s fever-free, they feel comfortable releasing him. His heart rate is better too. We’ll have labs done locally on Tuesday and go from there.

I am so incredibly thankful. We are beyond ready to be back home together with Dave and Jordan. Being in the hospital is hard, but having to divide your heart between two places is even harder. At the same time, I know I’m the lucky one to be here with Trace, because being at home without him is worse.

Thank you so much for all of the calls, texts, prayers, and check-ins. If I haven’t responded, please know I am truly sorry. Our hearts and minds have been a little overwhelmed, but every message means more than I can ever explain.

Please whisper a sweet little prayer for my boy tonight.

Trace is being admitted at Arthur Blank / AFLAC. He tested positive for the flu (he’s been positive since 1/27/26) and spiked a fever of 104. His heart rate has been staying in the 160s, and they won’t let him go home until it comes down and he’s more stable.

He is exhausted, but he is in the right place and being closely monitored. We are trusting the doctors and praying his body settles soon.

Jordan and Dave are having a hard time not being here with us tonight. Being apart is never easy, and our hearts feel it deeply.

Thank you, as always, for the nonstop prayers, love, and support.

Hug your babies tight and don’t let go!

🧡Rachael

02/08/2026

Another update on Trace

Yesterday (Saturday) was disappointing, to say the least. We were really hopeful we’d be heading home, but the doctors had other plans.

Overall, Trace was improving, but overnight his labs took a turn, so the plan changed. He received a round of IVIG around 4:00 PM yesterday, and the hope was to monitor his fevers and potentially go home today after his chemo treatment.

During the IVIG, Trace had a reaction that required Tylenol, two rounds of Benadryl, and an EpiPen on top of his pre-meds. It was sudden and incredibly scary, especially for Trace. For me, it brought back memories of when he was just three months old, fighting for his life during IVIG back then and experiencing some of the same reactions. That moment hit hard. The good news is that he is stable now and resting.

The doctors have given him a goal for liquid intake in order to go home since he hasn’t been eating or drinking. And let me tell you, he is determined. Bottles are being turned up, and he is working hard to meet that goal. He is so ready to be home, and I am so ready for him to be well again.

I am a complete mess. I love this boy so much it physically hurts. Watching your child fight battles you can’t take away from them is something no parent is ever prepared for.

Please whisper a prayer for my sweet boy. And hug your babies tight! Don’t let go first.

Please whisper a sweet little prayer for my boy tonight.

Trace is being admitted at Arthur Blank / AFLAC. He tested positive for the flu (he’s been positive since 1/27/26) and spiked a fever of 104. His heart rate has been staying in the 160s, and they won’t let him go home until it comes down and he’s more stable.

He is exhausted, but he is in the right place and being closely monitored. We are trusting the doctors and praying his body settles soon.

Jordan and Dave are having a hard time not being here with us tonight. Being apart is never easy, and our hearts feel it deeply.

Thank you, as always, for the nonstop prayers, love, and support.

Hug your babies tight and don’t let go!

🧡Rachael

02/06/2026

Update on my boy 🧡

Trace’s fever and heart rate have improved some, but not enough for us to go home yet. He still won’t eat or drink, but after four bags of fluids, I do feel like he’s okay for now.

We’re currently waiting on several results: blood cultures, an echocardiogram, and an ultrasound of his lymph nodes. His neck is extremely swollen, and he doesn’t even look like his usual self, which is so hard to see as a mom.

We are trusting the team as they continue to watch him closely and figure out exactly what’s going on. Please keep Trace covered in prayers as we wait for answers. We feel every ounce of love and support being sent our way.

Thank you to Gina Young for spoiling my girl this morning and helping ease her anxiety. It meant more than you know.

Please whisper a sweet little prayer for my boy tonight.

Trace is being admitted at Arthur Blank / AFLAC. He tested positive for the flu (he’s been positive since 1/27/26) and spiked a fever of 104. His heart rate has been staying in the 160s, and they won’t let him go home until it comes down and he’s more stable.

He is exhausted, but he is in the right place and being closely monitored. We are trusting the doctors and praying his body settles soon.

Jordan and Dave are having a hard time not being here with us tonight. Being apart is never easy, and our hearts feel it deeply.

Thank you, as always, for the nonstop prayers, love, and support.

Hug your babies tight and don’t let go!

🧡Rachael

02/06/2026

Please whisper a sweet little prayer for my boy tonight.

Trace is being admitted at Arthur Blank / AFLAC. He tested positive for the flu (he’s been positive since 1/27/26) and spiked a fever of 104. His heart rate has been staying in the 160s, and they won’t let him go home until it comes down and he’s more stable.

He is exhausted, but he is in the right place and being closely monitored. We are trusting the doctors and praying his body settles soon.

Jordan and Dave are having a hard time not being here with us tonight. Being apart is never easy, and our hearts feel it deeply.

Thank you, as always, for the nonstop prayers, love, and support.

Hug your babies tight and don’t let go!

🧡Rachael

01/28/2026

Trace Update!

Thank you to everyone who reached out to check on the kids! It truly means more than you know.

As Jordan told Trace as we walked in the door tonight, “Give me some skin. You’re welcome for me giving you Flu Type A.” 🤦‍♀️ So yes…Trace was “rewarded” today by getting to go see his friends at Arthur Blank since he woke up with a fever.

When we arrived at the hospital, Trace’s heart rate was 175, which was scary. They did an EKG, and thankfully it was normal. They also did X-rays of his back, shoulders, and femur due to the pain he’s been having since his spinal tap last week. Waiting on oncology to review. His bloodwork came back pretty much how it usually does. They debated admitting him tonight but ultimately felt confident that this was related to the flu his sister so generously shared with him, so they sent us home, thankfully.

We are both absolutely exhausted. I even thanked him for going with me today! That’s how long and draining it was.

For now, we’re home, resting, and incredibly thankful for a quiet night.

🧡Rachael

01/13/2026

We are headed down this afternoon for Trace’s appointment. Please keep him in your prayers as we travel and prepare for another couple long days ahead.

Trace went down last week for IVIG due to being sick. He does seem a bit better, but he’s still extremely fatigued and is struggling to keep food down. Tomorrow he will have his 19th spinal tap, chemotherapy into his spine, and a couple rounds of chemo. He is definitely dreading the spinal tap, but we know he will push through like he always does. We are so incredibly proud of his strength.

And while days like this are still hard, we are officially on the countdown… April 10, 2027 here we come!!

🧡 Rachael

12/19/2025

How can you be 17 today?!?! Happy Birthday my love! So proud of you and I can’t wait to see you this afternoon! 💕

12/11/2025

Hey everyone!! We are finally home, so we are definitely doing better.

Trace still isn’t 100%, but his oncologist felt confident that it was safe for him to come home. That alone lifted his spirits. We finally have some clearer answers about what’s been going on.

Trace’s body has stopped producing B cells.
B cells are what help fight infection. And because he has T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia, his T cells are also compromised. His doctor was very honest in saying that if there’s anything out there to catch, Trace will catch it. He explained that normally he would tell a patient in Trace’s situation to avoid people entirely, but he believes that would be unfair to Trace. Instead, he reminded us to continue being extremely careful with good hygiene.

When Trace was first diagnosed, he did produce B cells, so for a T-cell leukemia patient to later lose B-cell production is very rare. They are doing additional testing to figure out why this happened.

Unfortunately, once the body stops producing B cells, it cannot start again. So Trace will need monthly IVIG treatments for the rest of his life to help protect him from infections.

Trace also developed a virus that caused him to become severely anemic, and it hit his bone marrow really hard. The anemia explains everything he’s been struggling with: the high heart rate, extreme fatigue, not being able to keep anything down, and the overall weakness.

For now, the plan is no chemo for one month so his body can rest and recover. His oncologist does not want to pursue anything invasive with his bone marrow at this time. Once he starts improving, they will slowly reintroduce his chemotherapy.

The good news today: his blood counts were a little better, and his oncologist believes that over the next month, Trace will improve day by day as his bone marrow rebounds.

We will return in one month, and if his counts look better, he will have his 19th spinal tap with chemo into his spine and then return to his daily treatments.

And the sweetest moment today was when he found out he could come home, Trace immediately texted his dad to share the good news. It meant everything to him.

We are incredibly thankful to be home together as a family this weekend. These moments mean more than ever.

Thank you all for the nonstop love from everyone! The texts, calls, messages, prayers, meals, and support. I truly don’t know how we could ever begin to repay the blessings we have received. I’m sorry if I haven’t answered everyone, but please know we feel every bit of the love surrounding us. Please continue to keep Trace, Dave, and Jordan in your prayers as we move forward.

We love you all!
Rachael

Old picture alert! One that always makes me smile!

We are headed to Atlanta tonight for Trace’s appointment in the morning. We’re staying positive and hopeful that he’ll be able to come back home tomorrow.

Trace hasn’t been able to eat anything since last Monday. He tried drinking a shake yesterday, but he ended up getting sick. For the last two weeks, anything he has tried to eat hasn’t stayed down. On top of that, he seems to be coming down with a cold.

Please keep him in your prayers. We’re praying for answers, strength, and some relief for him.

🧡Rachael