Meet Boston
Meet Boston
Always smiling, Boston’s charisma always brings everyone’s spirits up, even in difficult times.
Three-year-old Dream Kid Boston is full of smiles! He’s a great little brother to his sister Bea, and a great big brother to his baby brother Walter. Boston loves The Lion King – since many toys have been discontinued, his parents are often buying old Lion King toys on eBay for him and his siblings.
But Boston has been through more than most three-year-olds. He has a primary genetic condition called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH. This condition causes his immune system to deplete his bone marrow, leaving him with nervous system problems, digestive issues, and weakened lungs, among other symptoms.
Pictured: Boston was all smiles, even on rough days in the hospital.
Pictured: Boston always finds a way to have fun.
Pictured: Boston has been hooked up to so many tubes and wires.
At two months old, Boston had a fever that got really bad really quickly. His parents brought him to the hospital and found that he required multiple transfusions. After doctors did some genetic testing on Boston, they diagnosed him with HLH.
He immediately started chemotherapy, and stayed in the hospital for a month and a half until he gained enough strength to finally return home. Even so, Boston was in and out of the hospital for nearly a year. During that time, Boston received a stem cell transplant – which came with all sorts of complications.
Pictured: Boston and is very close with his family.
In addition to this, Boston developed graft vs. host disease, which caused digestive issues. Boston had been through an extremely difficult medical journey before he even turned one year old. It was a difficult year for the whole family, but eventually, the flare-ups and infections began to lessen.
Now, Boston is doing great! His last admission to the hospital was earlier last year. Today, Boston is like a regular three-year-old. While he still gets bad ear infections from time to time and needs special lotions for his skin, Boston is playful, fun, and full of energy!
His family learned about The Dream Factory through a childhood cancer support group. When he first visited The Dream Factory office, Boston played air hockey against every staff member!
Pictured: Boston is a great big brother to his baby brother Walter.
With his love for The Lion King, it only makes sense that Boston’s dream should involve lions – which makes Disney World the perfect option. Seeing real lions at Animal Kingdom will be a huge highlight for Boston! He and his sister are always playing with their Lion King toys and Boston just about lives in his lion costume.
“Having a dream come true to look forward to has meant so much to our family,” Boston’s dad shared. “It’s very nice because we haven’t been anywhere since 2016.” Boston’s sister was also a cancer care patient – since 2016, their family has had to isolate to make sure that no one gets sick.
“But now that all the kids are good, being able to go somewhere as a family will be really special. To just be able to take a trip and not think about any of their illnesses will be really cool.”
Boston’s dream to experience the magic of Disney World will be something that he and his family remember for the rest of their lives.
Pictured: Boston and his sister, Bea, with their dog Angus.