Polar plunge toddler is cancer-free

Polar plunge toddler is cancer-free

Two years ago, the nation rallied behind a baby from rural Northwest Missouri who doctors gave a 5 percent chance to live after a cancer diagnosis. Three years later, he’s beating the odds.

“Numbers did not tell us anything because we knew he would make it,” said Alyssa Shaw, Landon’s mother.

Landon Shaw was born Oct. 21, 2013. Four months later, doctors discovered cancer in his liver. Shaw said he was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer and an atypical rhabdoid tumor — which typically travels to the brain. A 12-hour brain surgery was performed to remove a large mass by his brain stem.

“Doctors came in and told us he wouldn’t make it because of too much blood loss,” Shaw said. "We saw him in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) several hours later, and his eyes were open looking at us, and it’s been a journey since then.”

Shaw said her son endured 48 rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation. She also said his last medical treatment was May 2015 and the following month he was declared cancer-free.

“Landon is the happiest baby, toddler, child that I have ever known. ... With everything that he endured and everything he is not capable of doing, he does not let anything stop him,” Shaw said.

Landon’s story went viral and the masses began accepting the polar plunge challenge to raise money for his medical bills.

“I don’t know what we would do without them,” Shaw said. “All the support, the videos that made us laugh. ... Landon still loves to watch them to this day.”

Today he is a preschool student at Tarkio Elementary School.

“He loves school. He loves the teachers, and the other kids make him so happy,” Shaw said. “They have a sensory room at the school for kids with autism or sensory issues — It’s so relaxing for him.”

Landon still faces many challenges. He receives nourishment through a feeding tube and cannot walk or talk.

“There’s nothing medically that can make him not walk — It’s just time to build up muscle and strength and getting him used to pressure on his legs,” Shaw said.

She said they are working on oral feedings with little success and the radiation treatments possibly caused his lack of speech.

“He’s 3 years old, but they probably put him at an 8-month-old,” Shaw said. He is figuring out things like crawling, sitting and just grabbing things and getting what most babies get the first year of life.”

She also said they visit doctors frequently and his development is progressing faster.

“He has gotten up on all fours, which is a big milestone,” Shaw said. “When he was in the hospital, he was on his back most of the time. He didn’t start rolling until the end of his therapy. He just started sitting up on his own without any props, so it’s awesome.”

Shaw said people still ask about Landon, and she is grateful for their continuous support. To learn more about Landon’s story, visit his Facebook pages at “Team Landon” or “Plunges for Landon”

“What’s next for Landon is that he’s going to be a kid and get to enjoy things that he never could,” Shaw said.