CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nate Boehl is strong, smart and resilient. At just five years old he is already a survivor.
His journey started three years ago at Driscoll Children's Hospital when his parents brought him in for an unusual fever.
Nate was pale, tired, and unknown to them at the time, showing classic symptoms of leukemia.
"Unusual bruising, the child is pale and very tired," Dr. Mba said. "Sometimes they complain about bone pain and start to limp."
Dr. Mba is the medical director for the Cancer and Blood Disorder Center. She said she sees this all too often.
At Driscoll Children's Hospital, almost one out of every three kids seen in oncology are being treated for leukemia.
"The good news is leukemia is highly curable in children," Mba said.
At two years old, Nate began frontline treatment called the Roadmap. The guide shows the phases in treatment over an average of three years, recommended by the National Cancer Institute.
It's a general protocol that is proven to cure this type of cancer.
"The goal is to cure but this is not an easy journey," Mba said. "We anticipate complications and we expect complications."
"There were lots of things, that if it was going to happen, it was going to happen to Nate," Nate's mother said.
Nate was in and out of the emergency room. He lost his hair twice, and toward the end of his treatment his body started to show a rare and dangerous side effect from the harsh chemotherapy he was receiving.
His liver was failing.
"The child that was diagnosed with the worst thing parents can imagine and came out stronger than anyone could imagine," Nurse Shannon Broughton said.
Broughton remained close to Nate's side through his continuous treatment, watching him prevail against needing a transplant. She said seeing kids like Nate in her department shows her how incredible kids really are.
"They could be in here getting a blood transfusion or chemo and trying to ride off in one of the cars, or they're doing puzzles or playdough or you know, they don't know that they're sick," Broughton said.
Child play is a key factor in creating a stimulating and enjoyable atmosphere for the young patients who are sometimes there for eight hours at a time. Dedicated staff like Broughton and Dr. Mba are what help kids like Nate get through tough times like these.
As for Nate, he is looking forward to having his health back and being a normal kid again.