10-year-old boy battling leukemia now fighting coronavirus
(KNWA/CNN/Meredith) — A 10-year-old Arkansas boy already battling cancer is now fighting the coronavirus. He now has to delay life-saving cancer treatments.
Riley Duckworth was diagnosed with leukemia a couple of months ago, and now he’s been diagnosed with Covid-19.
Riley’s dad Jeremy Duckworth says the two are quarantined at Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital in Springdale. They will be stuck there until Riley’s blood counts recover.
“We cannot leave the room, not even to get food or anything,” Jeremy said. “We just take the news and do the best we can; we will be alright but it doesn’t make things easy.”
The father and son duo are spending time watching TV and playing games inside the hospital room.
Jeremy said with his son’s delayed cancer treatments, he doesn’t know what effect that will have on the cancer.
It’s a scary time for the family, but even with all they are going through, they keep positive.
“We know we’ll make it through, there are other people who have it a lot worse,” Jeremy said.
To keep their spirits up, Riley is thinking about all the things he will get to do when he gets better, like going camping.
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