This energetic, fun-loving 6-year-old legend has kicked cancer’s butt not once, but twice in his young life.

On February 13th, 2023, Zander was diagnosed with stage 2 Wilms’ tumor.

At the time of his diagnosis, his tumor was the size of a football. He underwent major abdominal surgery to remove the tumor, which also required one of his kidneys to be removed. He then started treatment and underwent 21 weekly outpatient chemotherapy treatments from February to June 2023, along with regular scans.

Zander handled it all like an absolute trooper, and everyone celebrated when he was given the “all-clear” following his final chemotherapy treatment. His parents could breathe again, and Zander could go back to just being a kid.

Then, in July 2023, some concerning new symptoms appeared. He started to experience pain in his left leg and developed a limp. It was diagnosed as bursitis, however summer scans started to show areas of concern on the bone and further biopsies were requested.

Zander’s family were given the devastating news that he had relapsed on November 15, 2023.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 Wilms’ tumor, relapse to the bone, which is incredibly rare. The cancer was now in his femur, vertebrae, and right foot. Zander’s oncologist, neurosurgeon, and orthopedic physician had never seen Wilms’ tumor relapse with bone involvement only.

Due to the progression of his cancer, he required a much more aggressive treatment plan post-relapse than the first time around. This came with the risk of more side effects, especially since he had previously had a kidney removed.

This brave boy endured weekly treatments for the next 11 months, from November 2023 to September 2024. During that period, he spent 2 to 5 days in hospital every single week. He also had 14 proton radiation treatments during that time. Zander has collected over 200 beads of courage, without even including the special ones.

This cancer journey, with all its twists and turns, has been an emotional and physical rollercoaster for Zander and his family.

Despite the many challenges he has faced, Zander has always maintained his positive attitude. He put on a good game face, a “tough guy mask,” and it took him a while to share his real feelings. His parents noticed that Zander would always try to make the best of every situation.

It hurt his loved ones so much to see the terrible things he went through, but Zander didn’t let anything stop him from smiling, laughing, running, jumping, and playing. He would ride his scooter during radiation, play fun games with his physical therapist during their progress sessions, and have the best time at the Ronald McDonald house gym.

Zander has now finished treatment and is being closely monitored.

His parents are sharing his story because he wants to help other kids get through what he went through, and because “We need to make advancements in effective treatments with minimal long-term side effects, to improve what is known about different types of childhood cancers like Wilms in the bone, and to invest in more studies on mental health and genetics when it comes to childhood cancer treatment and also the years after.”

Zander has shown everyone how strong he is, and he’s now able to go back to enjoying his childhood. He’s loving life with his parents and his big brother Asher, plus their 5 turtles, 3 dogs and 1 fish.

We’re riding for you this September, Zander… you’re a legend!