A baby in Ohio defeats a rare and aggressive cancer

A young boy in Ohio challenged the chances of overcoming an extremely rare and aggressive cancer.

When Hawken Hunt became "violently ill" in August 2016, doctors at the time reportedly told his parents, Shannon and Bob Hunt, that their son was infected with the flu virus, Fox 8 reported. Shannon was not convinced, telling the TV channel that "the intuition of the mother" had convinced her that her young son was suffering from something much more serious.

Following "multiple" blood tests and emergency room visits, the couple decided to take Hawken to the Cleveland clinic where he was diagnosed with Burkitt's leukemia. Rare blood cancer, according to the nonprofit family foundation that aims to raise funds for pediatric cancer research and help other families whose children are battling cancer, is only "1 to 2 % of all cases of leukemia.

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Hawken was 7 months old when he was diagnosed with this extremely rare disease.

The boy followed an aggressive treatment plan consisting of six cycles of chemotherapy, eight platelet transfusions, four bone marrow extractions, 13 blood transfusions and 14 lumbar punctures – a procedure that uses a needle to draw fluid in the spine – to match the aggressiveness of cancer, his family explained on their website.

Rabi Hanna, president of the Cleveland Clinic who treated Hawken, acknowledged that the treatment plan was complicated, and that he was president of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation.

"It's a challenge," he told Fox 8. "It's the most aggressive cancer we have; this tumor doubles in size every 24 [to] 48 hours. "

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Five months later, Hawken went into remission. He is now a "normal" child, although his immune system is compromised, according to the television channel.

During the child's battle, however, the family stated that the boy had taught them "lessons in daily life" including perseverance, perspective, and purpose.

"The things that thrilled me do not make much sense," Shannon told Fox 8. "And I think we can all be a little more patient, a little more caring. [because] we all come with something. "