Duluth 11-year-old battling blood cancer shares message of hope

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) – Falling leaves are an annual sign that change is coming.

Grayson Lyons is no stranger to change.

As the air turns crisp, Grayson loves being outside, playing with his dogs, and picking ingredients for his culinary creations.

Though you would never know on the outside, this Duluth 11-year-old is fighting a battle not many his age do.

Grayson will never forget a phone call from his doctor in October 2022 that changed his life forever.

“The words that he said are unforgettable,” Grayson said. “‘You have to pull over now, go home, and then back a bag.’ That’s when we first discovered I got B-cell leukemia or blood cancer.”

That diagnosis immediately transported Grayson and his family from normal life to a world of unknown.

“I didn’t have time to process for a couple of days, but it’s heartbreaking,” Dawn Lyons, Grayson’s mother, said. “Heartbreaking to see how weak he was.”

Grayson spent six straight days in the hospital and started chemotherapy right away.

Despite the fear, Grayson held on to hope by relying on his loved ones.

“My friends, my family came to the parking lot of the hospital and held up this big sign, ‘We miss you,’” Grayson said.

It was a kind gesture that made him feel amazing.

Grayson also relied on blood donors.

At the hospital, he received 14 units of blood, which is a gift that changed the trajectory of his treatment.

“Before I get blood, I get headaches, can’t do much, always feel tired, feel like I ran a mile every time I go up the stairs,” Grayson said. “But after it’s just like getting out of a hot shower.”

The following year was filled with doctor visits, chemo, and blood transfusions, but things are changing again.

This time, it is changing for the better.

“We got really bad news, but we got the best of the bad news,” Dawn said. “It’s curable. It takes anywhere from two to three years.”

Now in the middle of his treatment, Grayson is on the mend and filled with gratitude for those who give.

“When people hear this, I just want to say, ‘Thank you,’” Grayson said.

It has been a full year since Grayson received his blood cancer diagnosis, and the treatment is working.

Grayson only has to go into the hospital once a month, and he is really looking forward to finally being cancer-free.

Northern News Now is hosting a two-day blood drive in partnership with Memorial Blood Centers.

RELATED: Sign Up for the 2023 Fall Northern News Now Blood Drive

It is happening Wednesday and Thursday at Pier B Resort in Duluth.

Spots are still open, and each donation could save up to three lives.

Click here to download the Northern News Now app or our Northern News Now First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2023 Northern News Now. All rights reserved.