Quinn Cogan

On Sunday, September 30, 2018 Tracy and Andrei Cogan heard 4 words that no parent would ever want to hear, “your son has leukemia.” 
The news came as quite a shock because Quinn had been playing soccer and flag football just days before he was diagnosed with
high risk T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a type of acute leukemia meaning that it is aggressive and progresses quickly. It affects the lymphoid-cell-producing stem cells, in particular a type of white blood cell called T lymphocytes as opposed to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) which commonly affects B lymphocytes.

Quinn’s only symptoms showed up as a rash and a low-grade fever.  The “rash” turned out to be  tiny blood vessels bursting underneath his skin.   His white blood cell count was elevated to 3 times the normal amount that white blood counts should be for a child his age.  The next day Quinn began chemotherapy and started the 29 day induction phase of his treatment.  His little body accepted the treatment so well that he was able to leave the pediatric intensive care unit in 4 days and the hospital within 7 days.  Through his induction period Quinn received spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations, blood transfusions, and had to fight off infections.  He was able to start the Consolidation phase of his treatment which was 78 days of intense chemotherapy, antibiotics, and steroids.  Quinn suffered 2 seizures midway through the treatment and his protocol was reassessed to remove one of the chemotherapy drugs to ensure he would not have any other adverse reactions to treatment. 

He is currently in the 2 1/2 year maintenance portion of his treatment.  He will receive low doses of chemotherapy every day, weekend antibotics to help with his compromised immune system, he is also in physical therapy to improve his walking and running gate, as well as starting occupational therapy to help with the fine motor skills that he has lost over the past year.  

Quinn has been a warrior through it all and never complains about the pain and treatment that he is undergoing.  The total length of therapy (induction, consolidation, and maintenance) for most Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia treatment plans is 2 to 3 years. Because boys are athigher risk for relapse than girls, many doctors favor giving them several more months of treatment.  The Cogans ask for your continued thoughts and well wishes for him as he goes through things no child should ever experience.  Andrei, Tracy, Quinn, and Zane would like to thank all the people that make up their village and who have given their time, compassion, and money to this sweet little 9-year-old boy.