3-year-old Sam is a caring, goofy and mischievous boy who is currently in maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 

Last year, on May 26, Sam was rushed to his local hospital and then urgently transferred to SickKids in Toronto.

At the time, his platelet count was dangerously low (at just 5), which meant his blood couldn’t clot properly – putting him at serious risk of internal bleeding.

He was admitted for immediate treatment, and further testing confirmed the devastating news…

Sam was diagnosed with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The “high-risk” classification meant that Sam’s case required more intensive treatment. His family’s world was turned upside down, and those early days were overwhelming. It was hard to process what was happening, and what was still to come.

Sam’s first month of treatment, known as the induction phase, was tough. He endured multiple rounds of intensive chemotherapy and developed a serious bacterial infection following port insertion surgery. Further surgery was required to remove the initial port and insert a PICC line to deliver treatments. 

Thankfully, the next stretch of treatment went more smoothly. He completed the consolidation phase of chemotherapy and his first round of specialized immunotherapy drug Blina without any major setbacks. 

The first interim maintenance phase of treatment then brought new challenges. It was especially hard on his little body, but the constant support of his SickKids team brought his family a lot of comfort. His mom, Tiffany, told us, “They were always there when we needed them… we always felt heard.”

In January 2025, after a much-needed break between treatments, Sam’s family returned to Toronto for his second round of immunotherapy. 

He is currently undergoing the second interim maintenance phase, the next step in his long treatment plan.

Thanks to advanced genetic testing, Sam has recently been given another diagnosis that allowed his care team to better monitor his treatment and understand why all this may have happened. 

Sam’s original leukemia tests flagged markers that pointed to another condition, and in March, Sam was officially diagnosed with Noonan syndrome. It is a genetic disorder that can affect growth, facial features, heart function, and development. So far, Sam’s case appears mild. His parents have also undergone genetic testing to understand whether the condition was inherited, and they are waiting on results. 

They told us, “SickKids is crucial to our family. It’s healing, Sam, and it’s healing us. Without their genetic testing and research, we never would have discovered his second diagnosis.”

By now, Sam is a familiar face in the oncology ward at SickKids. Whenever he visits, he announces himself with a cheerful, “I’m baaack!!” 

He may be a little guy, but he has a big, bright personality! He loves dressing up as a ninja or Darth Vader, insists on wearing his signature yellow rain boots in all weather, and goes through hilarious food phases… sautéed mushrooms are his current obsession. 

Sam’s cancer journey isn’t over yet, he continues to bravely fight this disease with his family by his side.

GCC’ers, let’s pedal as hard as we can for Super Sam this August!