Our Story
In March of 2025, our family’s world changed forever.
Our 10-year-old son, Colton, started showing small signs that something wasn’t quite right — red spots on his legs, fevers that came and went, fatigue and bruising that just didn’t make sense. On Friday, March 14th, we messaged his doctor about the spots, hoping for reassurance. By Monday, Colton had a fever and was sent home from school. By Wednesday, it happened again.
On Thursday, after another message to his doctor, we were told to take him to Mary Bridge Children’s Urgent Care in Olympia just to be safe. Within minutes of being seen, we were sent to the Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital Emergency Room in Tacoma.
That night, on March 20th, 2025, a doctor spoke the words no parent ever wants to hear:
“Your son has leukemia.”
We were admitted immediately, and by the next day, March 21st, Colton was officially diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) — a moment that stopped time.
Our days quickly filled with IV poles, lab results, medications, and procedures we never thought we’d have to learn. We were told to expect at least two weeks to a month in the hospital, and we hadn’t come prepared for that. We had no clothes, no comfort items, and no idea how to process what was happening.
But during that long hospital stay, something beautiful started to happen — kindness found us.
Nurses brought blankets. Volunteers dropped off toys and snacks. Families we had never met left care bags filled with small things that made big differences — card games, chapstick, and notes of encouragement. These small gestures brought a light into some of our darkest days. They gave Colton something to smile about when everything else felt uncertain.
Those acts of love and generosity inspired us to create The Colton Strong Foundation.
Why We Started
We wanted to give back to other families walking this same road — families who suddenly find themselves living in a hospital room, navigating test results, and searching for strength in the middle of fear.
We wanted to help them feel the same comfort, warmth, and support that we felt when others reached out to us.
That’s why we created Colton’s Courage Kits — care packages made with love, understanding, and compassion. Each kit is filled with comfort items for children in treatment, as well as a few thoughtful things for parents or guardians. Inside every kit is a piece of our heart, and a reminder that they are not alone in this journey.
Colton Today
Thanks to the incredible team at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, Colton went into remission just 29 days after diagnosis. His strength, courage, and positivity continue to inspire everyone around him — and his journey is what keeps us moving forward with this mission.
While he still has a long road of treatment and follow-up ahead, his bravery and sense of humor never waver. Watching him fight with such grace and light has taught us that courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s choosing to keep smiling through it.