Kolten's AML Journey

05/24/2026

05/23/2026

Thank you SO much to Chloe, Kim, the School of Rock in Conroe, and The Brand! We had an awesome benefit today! The weather got so wild, but we had a decent turnout! Thank you to everyone who came and bought stuff!

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped to pick up prescriptions. This is so crazy... look at these prices. 3 prescriptions. Oh well, at least my baby is here. You cannot put a price on his life, and I can always provide receipts for every penny donated 🫶

Thank you, again, for all the LOVE!

If you didn't get to come and care to donate to help us at all, this is our GoFundMe.... 🎗🎗🎗

https://gofund.me/bec219559

05/23/2026

TODAY! We are heading out now to make it in time... hope to see everyone there!
📍The Brand
2111B Airport Rd, Conroe, TX 77301

Live music!
Lunch!
Silent auction!
Pew-pew raffle!
50/50!
My wild crew!

Come see us!

PS Need NOT be present to win on PEW r a f f l e!
Venmo Alana-smith-33

05/20/2026

Day +91

Kolten is doing really well, physically. Mentally, I know he misses his teenage normalcy. He desperately misses his brother living with us. He misses him so much. Hopefully, after Kolt graduates, he can move back to AZ and be Gavin's roommate. I will be their neighbor (just kidding... or am I?!?).

He had a few appointments today at MD Anderson. Everything went well. Labs look good! He has another appointment on Friday, then a full day in patient on Tuesday (Monday is Memorial Day, so clinic is closed.... long weekend for us in Houston!). It is really hard to travel back and forth so much with the 2 littles. Brek has type 1 diabetes, so has to go p*e so much. It makes for a long drive. And Koah, when she has had enough, she has had enough, and will scream the whole way.

Kolten will get his +100 day bone marrow biopsy, and that is giving me the WORST anxiety. Although I feel very confident there will be NO blasts, it still is a HUGE fear of the unknown. But he and I both know, he still is cancer free! But my mama heart still worries, unfortunately.

We will be heading back to San Antonio this evening, so I can get a couple days of work in, and Brekyn's last day of kindergarten is tomorrow! I will be doing a spaghetti plate sale tomorrow, from our home, if anyone is interested! $10 per plate! My spaghetti is the BEST!

DRAWING FOR THE LOUIS WILL BE LIVE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 8PM. I promise. I have been slacking with our new schedule, but I will get it done tomorrow night for sure! Also, you do not need to be present to win, for the pew-pew at the benefit this coming Saturday, so let me know if you need tickets! We will do the drawing live, on Saturday, as well.

Thank you, as always, for the love, prayers, donations, support, ALL OF IT. We love y'all ❤️

05/19/2026

Day +90

Kolten is doing really well still!!! Mama, still a nervous wreck, but hoping that SOMEWHAT goes away soon. The trips once a week to Houston are very hard, especially now that I have a job, and it has to be Monday-Friday. But I am doing all I can to keep it together.

Kolten will have to get his bone marrow biopsy within the next couple of weeks, and me, just typing that, makes me want to vomit. I KNOW there will be no blasts, we feel it, but it still is scary, because that will show that the donor cells took and have made sure to keep the cancer away. So, of course, it is a super scary thing to wait for. But we know deep down, he still is in remission 🫶

If any of y'all are in the Houston area this coming Saturday, come by The Brand for a benefit for us. All the funds raised are for travel costs, medical bills, and any other surprise costs that arise (which happen often). The "school of rock" kids will be playing (YAY), there will be a 50/50, silent auction, food, and lots of fun. We will be there to meet everyone, if you already don't know us, personally ❤️

If you can't come and would like to donate, my personal venmo is Alana-smith-33, or our GoFundMe is

https://gofund.me/44b47486d ❤️❤️❤️

We love and appreciate all of you for all the support so far. Every thought, prayer, everything, doesn't go unnoticed. We have made it here because of the help of all of YOU 🎗💪

Hello! Me again.... I have chosen to set my pride aside again, and tell … Alana Smith needs your support for Help with Travel Costs for Kolten and Koah’s Care

05/16/2026

Day +86

I don't post as much now, and I know I shoud.... but there are stages of grief that go along with this, as well. And I have just been scared of everything. My anxiety is through the roof. I felt safer when Kolt was in patient, because he was being monitored 24/7, and now he leaves to do stuff without me, and I literally FREAK out. Like, I cannot breathe. What if someone hurts him? What is he falls, what if he has a nosebleed? All the "What ifs", I definitely need to seek counseling, but life is too busy and my kids care is SO much more important right now.

So we still are coming to MD Anderson once a week. Today, the Doctor wasn't happy with Kolten's rapid weight loss, and if he loses a lot again by next week, he will have to go under and get an endoscopy to check for GVHD. He has had diarrhea for weeks now, and has lost about 5-8 pounds per week. He is now around 128. He just has no appetite, but when he does, he EATS. So we had a long talk about how he is going to have to snack, or even start drinking protein shakes. Anything to NOT lose weight. He did get his PICC line removed today, so that was a HUGE step for us!

Koah, will not keep her brace on, so we have been hauling her around, which has not been fun. She says that hip hurts so we are hoping nothing is wrong, but we can't get in to see her Dr until the 26th 😢

I did, however, get a job! Thank the LORD they understand my situation and are working with me. It is nice to be around people who won't shame you for what you are going through..... because this has truly destroyed who I am.

Coming to Houston is very costly, and I am not working that much, so if you can donate, anything helps. I am embarrassed to keep asking, but I do not get foster care pay anymore either, so it is me against the world, to support all 3 of these kids, with everything. Being single and not having back up income, it is very hard.

Anyway, we are blessed, my son is in remission and we are just lucky to lead the life we do 🫶

https://gofund.me/bec219559

05/10/2026

Happy Mother's Day from my beautiful babies to all of you amazing mama's 😍🥰🫶

05/10/2026

We appreciate this so much more than we would have over a year ago. Life is so precious. Soak it all in... San Antonio is gorgeous 😍

05/09/2026

Day +79

Being back to our "life" is really hard. I am super depressed. I just don't know how to act anymore. I got a new job that I absolutely love, but I worry 24/7 about Kolten. Like, tonight he got a nosebleed and my palms started to sweat and I wanted to take him to the ER. He said he was fine and it stopped, but my gosh, watching your child nearly lose his life over something you cannot make better, is absolutely THE hardest thing I have done as a parent. And I have been through a lot. A LOT.

All he wants is to be a normal teenager again. He won't be "normal", as he isn't going to school, prom, etc. We are trying to get back to our "normal", but it isn't happening as fast as I had hoped. And ohhhh my mama heart.... he was supposed to meet a girl last Friday for ice cream, he showed up, and she didn't, then blocked him. I was so pi**ed. Disgusting behavior for someone old enough to know better. But it's life. Her loss. My son is an incredible young man that has conquered so much in his 17 years.

We came to Houston last night for his and Koah's appointments today. His appointment went very well, still doing amazing! Numbers look good, and so does he! He will get his PICC line out next Friday, YAY! He will be starting a maintenance chemo, that he will, more than likely be on for 1-2 years, called Gilteritinib. It is the best one for his FLT3 mutation he had, so pray that helps and he never relapses! He will also be getting a bone marrow biopsy within the next few weeks, and in a couple months, start his immunizations.

My 5 year old grandson, Brekyn, had an issue with his scanner for his pump (he is type 1 diabetic) today. We scrambled and luckily, were able to have a new prescription sent to a nearby pharmacy, but insurance wouldn't cover it, but at least he is ok!

Then Koah. Oh this girl. Her hospital is in Galveston at the Shriners Children's. She got a new brace, but still seems to be in a lot of pain on her right hip. She refuses to put any weight on it, so we also have a follow up for her next Friday, for x-rays.

Thank you all who have prayed, donated money, whatever you have done. We truly appreciate it. It is now $92 to fill my gas tank, and it uses a full tank each way from our house to Houston, so every penny helps, it truly does.



https://gofund.me/bec219559