UPDATE 6/2/23: Grayson has rang the bell!

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April 7, 2020 was the saddest day in Kyle and Casey Sansom’s lives. This Friday, June 2, will be their happiest.

It was on that fateful spring day three years ago when the White House couple heard the horrific words no parent ever wants uttered. Their son Grayson, only 4 years old at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia. The news also came as a shock to older brother Drexall, 13.

But in a few short days, Grayson, now 7, will travel to The Children’s Hospital at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville to make the most joyous sound a pediatric cancer patient possibly can — ringing the victory bell— a sound reserved for special patients who no longer need chemotherapy treatments. This sweet, strong, God-loving child, who has been blanketed with prayers by the community and his faith-family at Revolution Church in White House — who held a blood drive in his honor in 2021 — has been declared cancer-free.

“I’m not sure he fully comprehends the magnitude of it all yet,” admitted Casey. “But he will when he sees everyone cheering and clapping … and me ugly-crying after he rings that bell!”

Grayson’s cancer journey began as many families were adapting to the “new normal” brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic. Casey noticed something was off with Grayson, who she normally “couldn’t keep inside” one day in April 2020.

“It was all I could do to get him to go outside with me and enjoy the sunshine,” she recalled. “While we were out there he fell, and his blood was so thin it was squirting out of his knee. We had no clue at the time that it was a sign of leukemia.”

When Grayson’s condition worsened after he went to bed, an understandably concerned Kyle and Casey made the decision to take him to the emergency room. He was having severe stomach pain and growing more pale by the hour.

Through the long night, doctors performed tests that revealed low blood counts. An ultrasound showed Grayson had a swollen spleen as well.

A final bone marrow test confirmed the doctors’ fears that Grayson had leukemia, specifically Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). ALL is most prevalent in children and is the rarest of the four common leukemias.

“That was a rough night. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” said Kyle.

Added Casey, the emotion still raw in her voice, “It was absolutely horrible. You never want to see your child go through something like that.”

An aggressive plan of attack on Grayson’s ALL was put into place immediately. A port was placed in his chest to begin chemotherapy treatments. He was put on steroids for 28 straight days, which had a significant affect on his appetite.

“He gained 20 pounds during that period,” said Casey. “All he wanted to do was eat, and he could barely stand up for more than a minute. He was miserable.”

Overall, though, both parents agree that Grayson has taken his treatments like a champ, never complaining or getting discouraged. Even the lingering side effect of neuropathy in his feet, for which he takes medicine three times a day, hasn’t dampened his spirits or slowed him down.

In fact, Kyle and Casey have seen a transformation in Grayson’s personality from “super shy” to a youngster who will now “talk to anyone” and share his love of God, get onstage to sing and play guitar at church, and expose others to his favorite Contemporary Christian band, For King & Country. He’s seen them in concert twice, met them, and knows the words to every song, by the way.

“They’re awesome! I want them to live here so I can play and sing with them every day!” exclaimed Grayson.

The outpouring of love and support throughout this cancer battle has been something for which the Sansoms say they’ll be eternally grateful. The staff at Centennial Pediatric Oncology, particularly Dr. Haydar Frangoul, have become like an extended family. When Grayson came home from his two-week stay in the hospital, a parade was held in his honor as he watched from the driveway. Local police, fire, and ambulance units along with other friends and neighbors drove by, waving and honking their horns.

Organizations such as HopeKids, the Rally Foundation of Tennessee, and Make-A-Wish have been instrumental in not only raising funds for cancer research, but also providing lifelong memories for kids going through the disease. Grayson stole the show at last year’s “Rally on the Runway” fundraising event, donning sunglasses and doing a Spider-Man pose as he shared the stage with Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

This past October, the Sansoms traveled to Orlando courtesy of Make-A-Wish. The five-night stay at Give Kids the World Village included visits to Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World.

“I got to meet Mickey Mouse!” Grayson beamed about his favorite moment on the trip.

Now, he’ll embark on a new journey, one of normalcy, and when asked what it feels like to beat leukemia, Grayson, who participates in karate, gives the perfect non-verbal response:

A swift, forceful side kick in the air. Take that, cancer.