Finn Erlandson

 “A ball of energy – he loves to ski, bike, hike and just be outside,” she says.

 But when he struggled to breathe walking up a flight of stairs, she took that as a warning sign to seek urgent medical attention.

 “After an Xray of his chest, the doctor called me immediately and told us to get him to Children’s [Oishei Hospital] as fast as we could. It turns out he had a mass in his chest and they couldn’t even see his one lung.”

Finn was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma – a childhood cancer that requires aggressive treatment to knock down. The family spent the next three weeks in the hospital, and now return every three weeks for a five-day stay, so Finn can receive life-saving chemotherapy. So far, he has fiercely braved six rounds.

“He’s been amazing through it all,” exclaims Amanda. “The days in the hospital when he has no appetite, he knows he has to eat and drink and walk the halls to feel better. At one time, he walked 101 laps of the hospital to get his body moving and the nurses were astonished. He just keeps going and keeps all of us strong.”

When the family learned that they would benefit from a 26 Shirts launch, they were extremely humbled by the kindness of their community.

“Finn is definitely a town hero in the very small town we are from. There are ‘Finn’s Fans’ signs everywhere. From that hometown attention to this campaign, I get teary-eyed thinking of all the support for my son. It’s amazing and truly humbling.”