Joshua Nichols
Josh found himself diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The diagnosis came as a complete shock to him and his family. Up until the diagnosis, Josh had showed no signs of problems. He seemed in perfect health and played football up until his diagnosis.
For 6 months Josh underwent chemo. Josh was under the care of the loving staff of Wolfson Children’s Hospital. The staff made sure to do everything to keep him healthy. Being a children’s hospital, the staff is also trained in helping keep Josh’s spirits up. Whether in the game room, during visits from special guests (professional athletes and even former-President Bush) or from the caring staff stopping in to visit, Josh’s support system in the hospital was always on call.
Outside the hospital, Josh had phenomenal support from his family and friends. When the diagnosis happened, Josh made it known that he did not want this made a big deal. And as difficult as that was for his family, they took that as their marching orders. Josh’s family understood that as a teen, Josh had a sense of invulnerability that was important to keep going.
Josh’s doctor did additional research to determine a level of treatment that would still allow Josh to resume his normal activities. Particularly football.
Today, Josh is doing well, and the staff at Wolfson Children’s Hospital truly became a second family for him. Josh and his family still come back to visit the staff sharing photos of trips and, more importantly, of Josh playing football.
