Belvoir youth gets his wish

Photo by Marny Malin-Kyler McCaddon, 6, waits with a smile for his Make A Wish journey to Disneyland to begin at his home on Delegate Dr. Sunday afternoon.

Kyler McCaddon has spent much of the past three years in and out of the hospital and doctors' offices.

That's because since 2005, the 6-year-old Fort Belvoir boy has been battling leukemia - a cancer of the blood or bone marrow that is characterized by an abnormal production of white blood cells.

But thoughts of doctors and nurses, of blood work and medical appointments, were put on the back burner as Kyler and his family visited Disneyland over the holidays, courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The foundation has been enriching the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work since 1980.
"It was the first time since his diagnosis that I actually lost myself in watching him have fun, and even forgot to worry about him for long stretches," said his mom, Leslie, 32.

"It was great not to have to require anything of him, no needle pokes or swallowing pills, but instead say, 'what do you want to do,' and be able to actually give it to him."

On Dec. 23, a limousine arrived at their George Washington Village home and picked up the family - which includes dad, Mike, a 2nd Lt. in the Medical Service Corps in his second year of medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md.; Madeline, 4, and Lucas, 2. It then took them to Ronald Reagan National Airport, where they boarded an airplane for sunny California and six days of fun at the world-famous amusement park.

"I think prior to Kyler's diagnosis, I thought cancer happened to other people and that they had to be amazing people who could tackle something I could never handle," Mike said. "It turns out every once in a while you become the 'other people' and are forced to discover just how strong, and vulnerable, you can be.

"The perspective of being a parent of a child with a life threatening illness, or of being a patient with a life threatening illness, is invaluable in medical education," he continued. "The compassion, professionalism, and small details addressed by physicians during our journey will forever affect how I practice medicine."

Kyler, who attends kindergarten at Fort Belvoir Elementary School, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005 during a visit to the U.S. from Germany, where they were stationed. The family was in Boston visiting his grandmother and Kyler had a cold he couldn't shake and was tired all the time, Leslie said. "That wasn't like him. He's full of energy," she said.

Earlier visits to the doctor's office in Germany didn't provide Leslie with any solace. They told her she was "overreacting" and there was nothing seriously wrong with Kyler. While in Boston, Kyler became so ill that he was taken to an emergency room where Leslie insisted that doctors test Kyler for leukemia. Those tests came back positive and Kyler soon began nearly three years of treatment, which included several rounds of chemotherapy. He is currently in remission and will be considered "cancer free" in five years.

"What I've learned is that we all come with the strength to face whatever we must," said Leslie. "Sometimes I really understand that strength comes from the grace of God. Even in my faithless moments, I have a lot of faith in the human spirit.

"Kyler needed us to be strong for him, so we were. It's really as simple as that. When we couldn't be strong, we were fortunate enough to have a wide network of family and friends to be strong for us," she said.

Among the highlights of the trip for Kyler: Meeting Buzz Lightyear and Woody, donning a Jedi Knight robe and posing for a picture with Mickey Mouse, and riding Space Mountain.

"That was fun," said Kyler, whose blue eyes danced as he recalled enjoying the popular attraction, the world's first computerized indoor roller coaster.
Leslie grew up near the park and her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all had the chance to spend time with her family while they were in California.

"We made happy memories that will last a lifetime for all of us," she said. "We could never have pulled off a trip as nice as this one without the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was such a gift for us to celebrate the end of chemotherapy with Kyler's extended family. I know it meant so much to them, too,
after having to support us from a distance for most of this time."