Easton was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in early 2023, when he was just three years old. Since then, Adams says Easton’s love of superheroes has gotten him through near-daily trips to CHEO for chemo treatment over the past 10 months.
Published Dec 31, 2023 • 2 minute read
Not everybody is on a first-name basis with Spiderman — but Easton Adams is far from your average kid.
The four-year-old has become something of a celebrity among Ottawa’s superheroes after fighting childhood cancer for the past year. On Sunday, he presented Spiderman with his very own custom t-shirt at a Kids New Year’s Eve Royal Ball, which featured princesses, superheroes, and a 4:45 p.m. balloon drop to ring in 2024.
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The t-shirt logo shows Easton wearing a Superman cape, The Incredible Hulk’s fist and Captain America’s mask, while shooting a Spiderman web.
“That’s like his mantra,” his mother Kate Adams says. “He’s the ultimate superhero.”
Easton was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in early 2023, when he was just three years old. Since then, Adams says Easton’s love of superheroes has gotten him through near-daily trips to CHEO for chemo treatment over the past 10 months.
From his bedding, to his clothes, to his toys, there’s hardly a part of Easton’s life that doesn’t feature superheroes. He’s met many of Ottawa’s superheroes over the past year, too.
“When he was diagnosed, we had a really, really good support system,” Adams says. “Everyone knows he loves superheroes, so we were just getting presents dropped off, always. And all the local superheroes know his name.”
Sunday’s event also marked a turning point in Easton’s treatment, too. A few weeks ago, he moved on to the “maintenance” phase of chemo, meaning his hair is growing back, his energy levels are higher, and his immune system is stronger. Adams and her young family had to live in a “bubble” for much of the year, as chemo attacks both cancer cells and infection-fighting white blood cells, leaving Easton more vulnerable to other illnesses.
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But now, luckily, he’s in the “maintenance” phase of treatment, taking a low doses of chemotherapy drugs to keep the disease at bay. After a year of intensive treatment, “it’s nice to be back in the community again,” Adams says, as Easton is “doing really well” and will be starting school in the spring. He’ll be officially declared “cured” after five cancer-free years.
Adams has high praises for the nurses and staff at CHEO. Easton has also been tapped to be the official ambassador for the hospital’s annual Snow Angels fundraiser, which raises money for childhood cancer research.
If there is a silver lining to be found in a children’s cancer diagnosis, the Adams family might find it. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a common type of children’s cancer, Adams says, and the odds are in Easton’s favour, with the disease having a nearly 90 per cent cure rate.
Plus, “Spiderman knows my name!”
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