Waynewood student’s battle with leukemia a rallying point for community

Michael Erlandson has managed to continue playing his favorite sport even as he’s continued to receive treatment for leukemia. (Brooks McElwain photo)

On Saturday, Michael Erlandson will participate in the Leukemia and Lymphona Society’s annual Light the Night Walk for the fourth time. It will likely be the first time that he’ll finish the walk under his own power. 

The 9-year-old Fort Hunt resident was diagnosed with leukemia as a kindergartner. He began treatment the next day and since then has been in and out of the hospital more than 150 times, according to Sandi Erlandson, his mother. 

Now a fourth grader, Michael’s bravery in the face of cancer has been an inspiration to the Waynewood and Fort Hunt communities, and he’s help raise more than $75,000 to fight the disease — including more than $20,000 this year. 

On top of it all, Michael has battled through the disease and come out on top. He has been in remission since May 2014, and in November he will be completing his 185 weeks of treatment.

It’s a milestone that his mother said could not have happened without the support of his friends, who have stayed by his side through the ordeal and always treated him as just another kid. Michael’s peers at Waynewood Elementary School and his teammates on the Fort Hunt Little League baseball team stepped up when their friend need them most, and the Erlandsons are forever grateful.

“I don’t think he would have been able to have done this as well as he’s done it without them,” Sandi Erlandson said. “They gave him a reason to get out the bed in the morning.”

Resilience in the face of cancer

The blood cancer and the continuous treatment have taken a tremendous toll on the youngster over the past few years. At last year’s Light the Night Walk,  Michael was much stronger than in previous years, but still needed to be carried across the finish line by his friends. The first year he participated, he came straight from the hospital and slept the entire time as his family pushed him. 

Beyond the fatigue, he’s dealt with joint pain, as well as weight gain and weight loss. His initial treatment included chemotherapy and spinal taps at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and he ultimately missed his entire first grade year as he battled the disease. 

Since then he’s taken oral medication daily and intravenous treatment at the hospital once a month. The side effects have affected his growth, so he’s shorter than other kids his age. Some of his meds cause nausea, and his treatment caused him to lose his hair — his mom noted that this will be the first school picture day that he’ll have a full head of hair.

None of this has phased his friends though, who’ve embraced him as he’s continued to play baseball, his favorite sport. 

“He was still just their buddy,” Sandi Erlandson said. “They just treated him like he was still the same old Michael.  A lot of grown ups don’t know how to do that.”

At Saturday’s Light the Night Walk on the National Mall, Michael and his family will be joined by a large group of supporters from the 22308 area. Sandi Erlandson is pretty sure her son will be able to finish the walk this year, but she also said she wouldn’t be surprised if his friends once again try to carry him in celebration. 

In a show of gratitude to his friends, Michael designed baseball-themed socks through the Resilience Project. The socks feature baseballs with his friends initials in them. The socks can be purchased, with proceeds going towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

“He couldn’t have done this without them,” his mom said. “He couldn’t have done this without our community. We’re so blessed and grateful.”

To learn more about the Light the Night Walk and Michael Erlandson’s battle, please visit his page on the Light the Night website.