Alto family seeks blood donors for 11-year-old battling leukemia

11-year-old Kody Crunkelton dreams of one day becoming a LEGO designer. Here he proudly displays one of his latest LEGO creations.Photo byJerry Neace/NowHabersham.com

Thursday, April 11th, and Saturday, May 25th, are important days for an 11-year-old boy in our community. His name is Kody Crunkleton. He loves Star Wars and LEGOs and should be out in the yard climbing trees and scraping his knees. But for Kody and his family, life is very different. They spend much of their time traveling back and forth to Atlanta for his life-saving treatments.

A shocking diagnosis

In April 2023, Kody was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The type of cancer Kody has is very fast-growing. His treatments will last for 2 1/2 years.

“Right now, we are going to Atlanta once a week for chemo, but sometimes we have to go twice a week,” Kody’s mother, Nicole Crunkelton, explains. “He has spinal taps to inject chemo into his spine. He has a feeding tube right now because the chemo makes him not eat, and it also helps with giving him daily medications.”

Kody Crunkelton before he was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2023.Photo byNicole Crunkelton

Because of his weakened immune system, Kody cannot be around many people. He attends South Habersham Middle School online.

“He has an amazing support system there. All his teachers text and check in weekly,” his mother says.

Demonstrating just how amazing his school support system is, South Habersham has organized two blood drives in Kody’s honor. One will be held at the school in April and the other at Hazel Creek Baptist Church in May. At each, LifeSouth will be accepting blood donations for Scottish Rite Hospital, where Kody is treated.

Community support

It is this level of community support the Crunkeltons say they have been blessed with since learning of their son’s diagnosis on April 11, 2023. Just two days earlier, on Easter Sunday, Nicole noticed Kody’s skin was pale and he wasn’t feeling well.

They were shocked to learn it was leukemia.

At the time, Nicole was a special education paraprofessional at Baldwin Elementary School, where she had worked for more than six years. After Kody’s diagnosis, she left her job to care for her son.

Coping with leukemia is a family affair. Kody has the support of his parents, Nicole and Chad Crunkelton, and big brother, Lane.Photo byCrunkelton family photo

“Everyone there is family, and they always call, text, email, and come by to see and check in on us,” Nicole says of her friends and former colleagues.

Nicole and her husband, Chad, have been married for 20 years.

“Chad works for a great company, and they send gifts and check in on us as well,” she says.

Leaving her job was difficult. Nicole loved her work and her work family. Kody, too, misses his friends and school.

“He has an amazing online teacher who has gone above and beyond this school year, Ms. Armour,” Nicole says. “We are hopeful he will get to go to school some next year.”

Kody’s dream

The Crunkelton’s other son, Lane, 17, is a junior at Habersham Central High School. When his little brother and parents are at the hospital, close friends and family help with things at home. When the family is together, outings are limited. The Crunkeltons have to be cautious so that Kody does not catch a contagious illness that would put him in the hospital. He easily tires and often feels sick from his medications.

Kody with his big brother, Lane.Photo byNicole and Chad Crunkelton

“It’s hard, but we always look ahead. It’s almost been a year, and we have another year and a half of chemo ahead of us. We make the good days good. We try and hang out with close friends and sometimes when Kody feels up to it, we go out to dinner,” Nicole says.

Kody is a huge Blake Shelton fan. He listens to the country star’s music when he is having a bad day.

“Every time he gets put to sleep, which is a lot, the nurses play ‘God’s Country‘ for Kody to help him stay calm.”

Even in the face of such medical challenges, this sixth grader from Alto remains positive. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he proudly displays the LEGO picture he made of Beatle George Harrison. In a way, Kody is holding his dream in his hands. He looks to a future that will one day be free of the tubes and treatments that now mark his days,

“Kody is so friendly. He will talk and make friends wherever we go,” his mom says. “He will sit for hours and build LEGOs. His favorite is Star Wars LEGOs.”

Kody dreams of being a LEGO designer someday. His goal is to create new LEGO sets.

Kody and Nicole enjoy one of his favorite pastimes. After almost a year of chemo, Kody has another year-and-a-half of treatments left.Photo byJerry Neace/NowHabersham.com

Photo byJerry Neace/NowHabersham.com

Kody has a large LEGO Star Wars collection, but there’s always room for more.Photo byJerry Neace/NowHabersham.com

How you can help

Since being diagnosed with leukemia, Kody has received over 25 blood transfusions. He will need more over the next year and a half.

Summertime is routinely a challenging time to meet blood needs. As more people travel and engage in outdoor activities, there are more accidents, which results in blood shortages. That is one reason these upcoming blood drives are so important, not just for Kody but countless others. You can help by becoming a donor.

On Thursday, April 11, LifeSouth will be at South Habersham Middle School, 237 Old Athens Highway, Cornelia, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Saturday, May 25th, LifeSouth will be at Hazel Creek Baptist Church, 243 Hazel Creek Church Road, Mt. Airy, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All donors will receive a $20 e-gift card. Donors must be 16 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and show a photo ID. 16-year-olds require written parental permission.

Photo bySouth Habersham Middle School

If you are unable to donate blood, you can still help the Crunkeltons.

Gift cards are helpful for gas and food. The gas needed to drive back and forth from Atlanta is taking a toll on them. And since chemo treatments often take all day, the Crunkeltons must frequently eat out while at the hospital.

If you would like to donate to help the family, please mail checks or gift cards to the Crunkelton Family, care of Now Habersham, P.O. Box 2393, Clarkesville, Georgia 30523.