Walton County family shares their story for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. ( WMBB ) – When baby Cali Richardson became sick in November 2021, her parents, Chloe and Carl Richardson, took her to the hospital multiple times.

“They kept saying it was just an ear infection. It was just this, it was just that. You know, it was always it’s just this. You just have something viral,” Chloe said.

It wasn’t until the 4th emergency room visit that doctors ordered bloodwork and gave the Richardsons the news no parent wants to hear; one-year-old Cali had B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“It was about eight of them (doctors), so we knew something wasn’t right,” Carl said.

The Richardsons quickly began Cali’s treatment, spending several weeks in the hospital before being discharged just in time for Christmas, but they said their one-year-old was never the same.

“When we brought her home, it was like she was just traumatized…she wouldn’t sleep in her bed.
Like everything kind of scared her almost. It was like she was just traumatized just from all the poking and prodding,” Chloe said.

The Richardsons said they were able to connect with other parents going through similar struggles through cancer Facebook groups, which helped them do research and find out what other parents did when their child was diagnosed.

There was light at the end of the tunnel, however.

This past February, Cali entered remission and rang the infamous bell.

“On the other side, it was amazing, to be honest with you. I don’t know any other word to say it, it was a great day,” Carl said.

The first order of business for Cali was to do something most kids do on a daily basis; ride a big yellow school bus.

“She had never ridden one. They pulled up a bus to the front yard and picked her up and took her to McDonald’s and drove around in the bus. That’s when it started to become real,” Carl said.

Chloe Richardson said they prioritized Cali’s childhood as much as they could.

“I think we did a pretty good job at that. We have always made sure that if she, you know, even if she wasn’t allowed to be out. We would take her somewhere secluded or go in and get her ice cream to go we always made sure that her life didn’t change too much outside of not being able to do anything, basically,” Chloe said.

Cali is now enrolled in school and her parents said her favorite activities are gymnastics and cheerleading. They said their biggest message to other parents is to never give up on their child.

“Stay on top of it, go with your gut. You know your child and you know that there’s something wrong. When they’re so young, you are their voice. You’re the only person who can speak for them whenever there’s something truly wrong so, stick with it. Keep going. Demand answers because sometimes that’s what it takes, and you’ll get your answers in the long run,” Chloe said.

They say the best way people can recognize Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is by educating themselves on the disease and donating to cancer research organizations if possible.

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