“Cole was our youngest son. In April of 2020, we noticed he had a black eye and had him checked out by his pediatrician. We assumed he being a boy, he got hurt, or maybe it was allergies,” Clint Henderson describes the moment that changed his family’s life. “It didn’t go away after a week, so we took him back, and they ran blood tests.”

In April of 2020, Cole was hospitalized, and the family was informed of his cancer diagnosis. During his battle, Cole went through five rounds of chemotherapy and countless other procedures, including blood and platelet transfusions.

“There’s a program called ‘Beads of Courage’ for children battling a sickness or cancer. Anytime they have any treatment, the children receive beads, and each one represents a different treatment,” Clint shares a keepsake that reminds him of Cole’s battle. “If Cole received a blood transfusion, he might have got a red bead.”

Cancer patients use nearly a quarter of the blood supply – more than patients fighting any other disease – but only 3% of Americans donate blood in a given year. To receive necessary treatments like chemotherapy, patients like Cole have to have healthy numbers – blood and platelet transfusions help give their bodies the strength to fight.

“You can’t move onto the next round of chemotherapy until your counts rebound. All that time you’re probably going to need blood products,” Clint describes how essential timely transfusions were for his young son.

“Every time we would go in for checkups, they pricked his finger to check his levels. If they find out that you need red blood cells or platelets or plasma, you get it on the spot,” said Clint of the routine nature of transfusions for a patient battling cancer. “I remember during Cole’s treatment there being pretty major concerns of a blood shortage in late 2020. There was talk – it never happened – but there was a day the doctors said, ‘we might have to give him half of what he should get.’”

Less than a year after his diagnosis, Cole tragically passed away. The Henderson family founded Cole’s Victory Lap in his memory. The organization provides comfort and support to other families with children battling illnesses like cancer.

“We provide kid’s themed sheets that are sports and superheroes and things like that. It can be hard when a kid is admitted into a hospital for treatment; this just makes it a little homier,” Clint shares the support that Cole’s Victory Lap offers to families like his. “My wife was always known for having a big bag or snacks. At two years old, Cole asked for ‘nacks, so we created Cole’s Nack Carts that we keep stocked on the pediatric oncology floor.”

Besides the snacks and sheets, Cole’s Victory Lap helps families remember their precious children with photography sessions when the children are feeling well enough. Despite all they’ve been through, the Henderson family wants to carry on their son’s memory by putting a smile on the faces of families like theirs.

You can help children like Cole by donating blood or platelets. Find a blood drive near you. Additionally, you can dedicate your donation to a friend or loved one. Learn more here.