Elyahs had always been a fighter, even before he knew what it meant. Born in March of 2019, Elyahs was a happy baby who radiated warmth and curiosity. But for his mother, Nytasha, life took an unexpected turn when Elyahs was just an infant.
At a routine checkup, the pediatrician noticed something unusual—Elyahs’ hands were pale, almost paper-white. As a first-time mom, Nytasha had assumed all newborns were a bit pale, but the pediatrician was concerned. A quick blood test revealed shocking news: Elyahs had a white blood cell count of over 400,000– much higher than the normal range. Before Nytasha even made it home, the doctor called her back to the hospital.
"I was like, 'This is not happening,'" Nytasha recalls. "I didn’t react right away because I was in disbelief. He was this tiny baby, and they were ripping his clothes off and hooking him up to machines." It was in that frantic, overwhelming moment that Nytasha first heard the word that would change their lives forever—chemotherapy. After prodding the nurse who uttered the word, Nytasha found out that Elyahs had been diagnosed with a rare subtype of Leukemia; he was just 8 weeks old.
The next year and a half became a blur of hospital rooms, treatments, and prayers. "We lived there. I did laundry there. The medical staff became my family. That was our home for the first year and a half of Elyahs’ life," Nytasha explains.
Because of his diagnosis and very young age, Elyahs' treatments were experimental; trials that carried no guarantees. Amid the chaos and fear, Nytasha became a rock, holding both herself and Elyahs steady through the storm. "The moment you hear the word 'cancer,' your mind spirals into panic, imagining the worst," she recalls. "But I knew I couldn’t afford to feed that fear. I had to stay positive, because my son needed that strength. Children absorb the energy around them—if you’re drowning in sadness, they feel it, and it only drags them down. I refused to let that happen to Elyahs." Despite the emotional toll, Nytasha kept her spirits high, focusing on Elyahs, who despite his small size, fought through each treatment with a resilience that amazed everyone.
The treatments were grueling. Elyahs underwent a bone marrow transplant in December 2019, which had to be split over two days due to his tiny frame. But even after what seemed like a successful procedure, the cancer returned. "I was devastated, but I thought, ‘we got rid of it once, we can do it again,’" Nytasha says.
They turned to CAR T-cell therapy, an experimental treatment that reengineered Elyahs’ own cells to fight the cancer. It was a long shot, but it worked. "I could cry right now just thinking about it," Nytasha says, her voice full of emotion as she remembers the results. "My baby’s OK! It worked!" Since August 4, 2020, Elyahs has been cancer-free.
Elyahs, now five and starting kindergarten at the METCO school, is thriving. "He’s very smart," Nytasha beams. He loves learning his letters, doing math, swimming, and dance. Thanks to Lucy’s Love Bus, he’s been able to take swimming lessons and he’s recently begun dance classes, activities that not only help him build his social skills but also bring joy back into his life– and his mom’s, too.
Looking back, Nytasha is in awe of how far Elyahs has come. From the little boy who skipped crawling and went straight to walking, to the vibrant, intelligent kindergartener he is today, Elyahs's journey has been nothing short of miraculous. "He’s been very lucky—and here we are," Nytasha says, reflecting on their ordeal. "I couldn’t be more proud of him."
Nytasha is deeply grateful for the support Elyahs receives from donors like you. "As a single mom doing everything on my own, I wouldn’t have the means to provide my son with the activities he needs to build his social skills—the experiences every child deserves– without Lucy’s Love Bus. You have no idea how much this support means to us!"
Thank you for being a champion for children with cancer and their family members this September, and every day of the year. Gifts from community members like you deliver comfort and quality of life to deserving children like Elyahs and deliver much-needed support for parents like Nytasha.
