09/15/2025
When Ashton fell ill in December 2024, his family assumed he came down with a seasonal bug but went ahead and took him to the pediatrician. After testing negative for COVID and the flu, they continued seeking answers for his progressive symptoms. Later that month, Ashton was taken to the emergency room, where doctors found an enlarged spleen and liver with jaundice. On Christmas Eve, he was transferred to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital in Columbia for specialized care. On December 30, a bone marrow biopsy revealed the cause of his struggles: a leukemia diagnosis.
Soon after receiving the diagnosis, Ashton developed bronchial spasms while under anesthesia and had to be intubated for six days. He entered the new year still requiring sedation for his medical conditions, and finally awoke in early January, needing to remain in the hospital until late February.
His pediatric oncologist, Dr. Anna Hoppmann shares, “Undergoing treatment for childhood leukemia is a long journey. Ashton’s parents and family members are extremely devoted to him. They work side by side with his medical team to support him through very intensive cancer treatments and they also allow him opportunities to still be a kid while fighting for remission.”
The treatment journey has been an uphill battle, with Ashton in and out of the hospital while undergoing four rounds of chemotherapy. However, the Prisma Health team in charge of Ashton’s care has been nothing short of attentive and compassionate.
Ashton’s mom says, “The Prisma team has become like family, offering continuous support throughout this whole process. The nurses care for Ashton as if he were their own, and we are extremely grateful.”
Ashton remains upbeat and resilient throughout his treatment course, including writing and sharing an original song with his medical team on the oncology wards. Currently he and his family are in Pennsylvania to participate in a new type of immunotherapy clinical trial as they continue to fight for remission.