Michigan toddler with leukemia defies odds and is in remission; gets chance to be a real cowboy
HARRISON TWP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Gabriel Crowe has defied the odds and doctors expectations for his whole life. He's been in a fight against a deadly and fast-growing blood cancer called Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (A.L.L) since he was 9 months old.
Gabriel is a superhero in the truest sense of the word - he's relapsed four times and his parents were told twice that there may not be much more doctors could. So they chose to focus on his quality of life.
"He, at the very beginning, was high risk from the state because he has a gene mutation which makes his leukemia harder to treat," his mom, Melissa Crow said. "Whether that means we get 60 more years with him or six more months - every single decision we make is how can we make his life better?"
In December, treatments at that point had failed and his family started a bucket list to fullfil for the toddler.
But since then, a new immunotherapy drug is now working and he's been in remission since December.
So on Thursday, the people from Camp Casey made a special visit to Gabriel in Harrison township
"This is the first time we felt like a normal family, this is the first time he's felt like a normal toddler," Melissa said.
The family packed in as much as they and got what volunteer at Camp Casey call a Horsey House Call, complete with a ride on the horse Queen Bee, a craft station, and rides for everyone.
"It's like Disneyland delivered right to your front doorstep. There's nothing like it. It's sunshine, magic, rainbows everywhere," Camp Casey Program Manager Alex Mills said.
Gabriel invited his best friend Julia and, together, they painted picture frames, groomed Queen Bee but the best part was getting to ride like a real cowboy.
"We thank you for the work you guys do. It's literally changing lives. It makes such a huge difference for us. We love you and thanks for coming," Melissa said.
If you know a child battling cancer who would love a visit from Queen Bee, head over to camp-casey.org to fill out a referral form. They'll be doing visits through October.