Austin was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma PTLD in April 2017. This is a rare, aggressive form of Burkitt lymphoma which results from the immunosuppression that is required following an organ transplant. In 2011, when Austin was 3 years old, he had a severe E.coli complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome which led to kidney failure, so he underwent a kidney transplant. Austin recovered from the successful transplant and had been doing well for a few years, but in April 2017, he began to complain of pain from urinating. The pain was so severe he collapsed at school. Austin’s parents, Ben and Cortney, rushed him to the hospital and insisted that he have scans done – the scans revealed a baseball-sized mass near his bladder and another mass in his liver. Further testing and a biopsy determined that Austin had developed Burkitt lymphoma PTLD as result of his earlier liver transplant. Austin’s family was moving from LA to Boston at the same time he was diagnosed, so they decided to pursue treatment at Dana-Farber. Austin then had 4 rounds of intense chemotherapy, including 8 lumbar punctures, and had to be hospitalized for each round. Between the beginning of May through the first week of July, he spent more than 50 days in the hospital – but Austin just completed treatment. Cortney says that their family is very grateful for the Dana-Farber treatment team’s swift, smart and strategic treatment plan for Austin. They couldn’t imagine a better place for him to be treated than Dana-Farber, which is one of the only hospitals with PTLD specialists. Austin attends Lincoln Street Elementary and enjoys Pokémon, baseball, and Minecraft. Austin recently met Brock Holt during Brock’s visit to the Jimmy Fund Clinic –they sent a selfie to Dustin Pedroia, Austin’s favorite Red Sox player! His family includes his mom Cortney, dad Ben, sister Emma, 9, and brother Henry, 3.