PHOENIX — Aiden Huddleson is your typical six-year-old who loves to tell you about dinosaurs.
“The T-Rex is a carnivore, he eats meat, has tiny arms and has sharp teeth,” says Aiden.
And although he loves dinosaurs, he loves his mommy most.
“My favorite dinosaur is the Triceratops because it has my mom’s name in it,” according to the six-year-old.
Mom, Sarah Huddleson is just as in love with him too.
“Yeah, he's just my little man,” exclaims Sarah.
The two have an unbreakable bond after a visit to the doctor changed their lives in 2019.
“We went in initially on a Friday because he had bruising on his legs,” according to Mom. "We were thinking, it's probably some vitamin deficiency or something. Then Saturday morning his doctor called us and said go to Phoenix Children's, we’re pretty sure it's leukemia."
"You never think it's going to be you. It was a huge shock because I didn't know anybody else who had a kid that had been through that journey. So, I was definitely fearful.”
However, Sarah went into “Mom Mode,” knowing she had to not only prepare Aiden for the fight but the entire family.
“We were in active treatment from June all the way up until March,” Mom says. "In the beginning, it was 30 days, you’re at the hospital every week for either a lumbar puncture or chemo. It was just intense."
However, she credits Phoenix Children’s with providing a lot of resources to help them get through the ordeal.
“You feel like you're part of their family and they do whatever they can to help you be able to focus on Aiden and focus on him getting better. They help get you through everything, with whatever you need,” says Sarah.
For two and a half years, the little guy battled Leukemia. October of 2021 is when Aiden finally got to “ring the bell,” symbolizing the end of his treatment.
“It was awesome, it was emotional of course,” according to Mom. "They made it special and great. We made a whole day of a celebration."
Celebrating Aiden’s life, health, and strength.
“I’m not big, but I’m strong,” says Aiden.
