James Allen's Story

James Allen, 9, attended Central Elementary in Lyons, Kansas. James was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in February 2019. Although his time in treatment had its share of ups and downs, James always kept his faith, smile and positive attitude. James was a dedicated gamer, he loved the outdoors, playing football and Boy Scouts. 

"I want to say thank you to everyone who supported and helped our family since we found out about James Allen having cancer," said Aubrie, James Allen's mom. "The outpouring of help was emotionally overwhelming in a good way and was definitely beneficial to our family." 

Unfortunately, James Allen faced a relapse May 13, 2020, after several months of being cancer free. The cancer had returned stronger than ever. Due to the damage his previous chemotherapy had caused to his liver, he didn't qualify for trials. The family opted to provide James Allen with one 5-day dose of a less potent chemo that wouldn't be as hard on his liver. The doctors hoped that the chemo would kill enough of the leukemia cells that his own immune system would be able to fight off the rest following another bone marrow transplant. 

Sadly, James Allen passed away May 29, 2020 at Children's Mercy before receiving the bone marrow transplant.