In Zeke’s bright eyes, the world remains full of wonder despite the battle he’s been fighting for more than a year. As his family celebrated Christmas, his mother, Sarah, noticed something concerning in the holiday photos – a yellowish tint to her son’s skin. After weeks of on-and-off illnesses that doctors judged to be seasonal bugs, her maternal instinct screamed that something wasn’t right.
“I never felt like I had a lot of mother’s intuition,” Sarah recalled. “But something didn’t feel right. So I kept pushing for more tests until we found out.”
That persistence – that refusal to give up – saved her son’s life.
When the blood test finally revealed leukemia, Sarah’s world collapsed into a single devastating heartbeat. The diagnosis of leukemia launched the family into the disorienting world of childhood cancer – weekly hospital visits, chemotherapy, and medical terminology no parent should ever have to learn. Through it all, three-year-old Zeke remained resilient, his spirit and imagination soaring even when his energy couldn’t keep pace.
But hospital days brought challenges that tested both mother and son. The accessing of his port became a source of overwhelming anxiety for Zeke.
“There is nothing – nothing – like the pain of having to hold down your child through a procedure,” Sarah shared. “For so long, it took everything in me not to cry when we got Zeke’s port accessed. He would scream and cry and sometimes get so upset that he would throw up.”
Then came an unexpected turning point in the form of a simple little bag.
Zeke’s nurses began telling him about a special reward waiting after his port accessing – a trip to the “Secret Snack Closet” where CURE Childhood Cancer provided snack bags for brave children like him. What started as a simple distraction turned into something magical.
“Eventually, Zeke started getting more excited about going to the secret snack closet than he felt fear about getting accessed,” Sarah explained. “It became a bit easier and easier to distract him, and I found I became less anxious about our hospital visits.”
Now in maintenance treatment since September 2024, Zeke’s blond hair is starting to return, complete with a cowlick he proudly calls his “ponytail.” Zeke continues to inspire those around him with his resilience. His daily declaration that he wants to be “strong like dad” reveals the strong bond with his father, only deepened through this journey.
“As silly as it sounds,” Sarah reflects, “those snack bags have been instrumental in our journey through childhood cancer and have come to represent hope for us. We are incredibly thankful for all the people who donate them.”
Zeke’s story teaches a profound lesson – how something that seems so small can make a big difference. How even the smallest gestures of kindness can transform a child’s darkest moments. And how sometimes courage can come packaged in chocolate chip cookies and cheese crackers. If you would like to learn about how you or your organization can make snack bags to encourage kids like Zeke, visit our volunteer page.
One of the ways he gives back is through CURE’s Catie’s Gathering dinners. Catie’s Gathering dinners are inspiring events benefiting Catie’s Fund of CURE. These special dinners are right up James’ alley because each table hostess brings their own flair to decorate their table. Looking around the room, you’ll find tables with such themes as the Kentucky Derby, the roaring 20s, and Southern gentility. Since the first dinner in Effingham, Catie’s Gathering has grown from one to five separate events in southeast Georgia.
While he has no direct tie to childhood cancer, he has seen local families struggle while going through treatment, and CURE’s local support of these families is one of the big reasons he chose to partner with CURE.
Peggy Kerns is a retired nurse who spent 37 years caring for children with cancer. Originally from Chattanooga, TN, she studied at Samford before coming to Egleston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, where she worked side-by-side with CURE’s founder, Dr. Abdel Ragab.
