Meet Tiger – Leukemia Warrior
"I cried when they told me that my 14 year-old son had cancer," shared Ebony Tiger's mom
Tiger and his mother, Ebony, moved to a new town when he was ready to start middle school. However, in less than a month of being in their new home, things took a terrible turn. Tiger’s heart was racing and he suffered from extreme fatigue, headaches and chest pains. Ebony took him to the doctor and they were able to diagnose him quickly – Tiger had leukemia. “I cried when they told me that my 14 year-old son had cancer,” shared Ebony. Tiger experienced unfortunate side effects from the chemotherapy including extreme tiredness and vomiting.
Ebony felt the effects of the cancer, too. Because she had used all of her vacation time to move, she had to choose between taking care of her son or going back to work. Ebony felt a sense of relief when she learned that her cousin, Andre, was moving to their same town and offered to help her family through this trying time. Andre pitched in around the house and took Tiger to the hospital up to three times a week when Ebony was at work. With Tiger’s appointments being an hour away from their home, expenses rapidly grew. She reached out to the NCCS and received help from its Transportation Assistance Fund, making it possible for Tiger to get to his treatment.