Elijah R. | 2026 All-Star | Connecticut Children's Foundation

Emerging Stronger After BPDCN: Elijah’s Story

Elijah was in fourth grade when he ran into a table at school and came home with a bruise on his thigh. His parents, Aurora and Carl, kept an eye on it and after a few months, the small bump disappeared. Then the bump returned—and this time, it was growing.

His parents took him to the pediatrician for additional testing, where the bump was diagnosed as a hematoma. Carl, who was retired from a career in healthcare, wasn’t comfortable with that diagnosis. “I knew that hematomas are usually softer, not solid and hard,” he said.

Elijah smiling in hospital during treatment

A suspicion of cancer

They took Elijah to another specialist, who ran more tests. Carl and Aurora were in the car when the specialist called with the results. The specialist suspected the bump was cancerous and urged them to take Elijah to Connecticut Children’s. “It was a gut punch,” Carl said.

“A parent wouldn’t normally think that a bump will turn to cancer.”

A shocking, rare disease

Elijah was diagnosed with blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), an extremely rare cancer that is typically diagnosed in men over 65. Elijah was the first pediatric patient with BPDCN treated at Connecticut Children’s.

Fortunately, Elijah’s tumor remained localized to his thigh. It had not spread to his bone marrow, lymph nodes, or blood. Still, it was frightening news to Elijah, who had recently lost a close friend to cancer.

Elijah smiling with his chemo port labeled "UConn"

Chemotherapy begins

Elijah was admitted to Connecticut Children’s in June and spent 23 days in the hospital. Connecticut Children’s hematologist-oncologist Natasha Frederick, MD, started him on chemotherapy and, at the recommendation of colleagues in Boston, added a drug called venetoclax to his regimen. Venetoclax blocks a protein that helps cancer cells survive.

The results were astonishing: within just 11 days, there was dramatic improvement. “Every single day, the bump was going down,” Aurora said. Within weeks, Elijah was in remission.

Team Impact and Make-A-Wish

There was more good news. Aurora had filled out an application for Team Impact—an organization that matches children with serious illnesses to college sports teams. Elijah was chosen to be the Team Impact player for the UConn men’s basketball team for two years.

He’s formed friendships with some of the players and traveled to the Final Four, watching UConn win the national title in 2024. When Make-A-Wish sent his family to Hawaii, Elijah had one stipulation: his grandfather (and best friend) had to come, too.

Elijah smiling with Dan Hurley after a championship win

Elijah and his parents with NCAA trophies

Giving back to other families

Despite missing nearly a full year of school, Elijah returned with support, tutoring, and determination. Now in eighth grade, he enjoys lifting weights, building Legos, and going to car shows. His chemo port was removed last September, which was also the same month he took his final oral chemotherapy dose. Follow-up appointments now come every three months.

Inspired by the care and compassion they received, Elijah and his parents are giving back. They’ve launched a nonprofit called “Elijah’s Entourage Inc.” to help other families navigate resources and cope with the challenges of a child undergoing treatment for a serious illness.