For weeks, Riaan had a swollen gland in his neck. His parents, Genelia and Riteish, became concerned when it wouldn’t go away.
Riaan underwent a series of tests, which soon showed he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer.
Further tests revealed Riaan had a subtype of ALL that put him in the high-risk category.
Desperate to save their son’s life and give him the best chance possible, Genelia and Riteish obtained a referral to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.
Riaan and his family arrived in Memphis, Tennessee (where St. Jude is located) in December 2016, and he started treatment immediately, receiving 120 weeks of chemotherapy.
Soon after arriving at St. Jude, Riaan’s baby brother was born, and immediately his parents saw him brighten.
“Riaan got a friend to play with,” Riteish said. “He just became happier with his brother.”
St. Jude patient Riaan with his brother and dad, Riteish.
Riaan has finished treatment and the family is home in India. They’ll return for checkups every three months, something they’ll look forward to.
“When we first arrived, I thought we would be in a place which is sad and everyone’s fighting for their life,” Genelia said. “But when we’re at St. Jude, we’re at our happiest.”
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