ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) -To see the very precocious nine-year-old, Nikolas Pakkidis, you’d never know that he’s already fought the battle of his life.
“I wouldn’t eat. I wouldn’t drink. I wouldn’t do anything. I was nauseous all the time, and it got to the point, where they had to take me to the emergency room,” says Nikolas.
Just last year, Nikolas Pakkidis spent about five months in the hospital, after being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL.
He has a rare variant, but his dad says he’s responded well to treatment.
“Nikolas is probably one of the strongest kids you’ll ever meet. He has taken on this difficult task every day with a smile on his face,” says his dad, James Pakkidis.
His treatment included intense chemo in the hospital.
“I wasn’t able to go to school. I wasn’t able to see my friends,” says Nikolas.
It was during that time that Nikolas got to meet his new friend, Amy Fender from the ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation.
“Everything changes, instantly, and you don’t know how to navigate any of this stuff. But here comes Amy and she’s like Hey, I’m with ASK and I’m here to help you,” says James Pakkidis.
“He was much more weak, not very talkative, and I kind of just wanted them to see my face, know that I was there when it was time to transition back to school,” says ASK Education Support Navigator, Amy Fender.
Based out of Richmond, ASK offers education support and financial assistance to families of pediatric cancer patients.
Its program has expanded to Carilion Children’s, as well as other pediatric oncology clinics across the state.
Fender helped Nikolas keep up with his schoolwork, while he was in the hospital.
Most Commented