Five-year-old Colton Osborne has a rare form of leukemia, and a community fundraiser was planned in Smyrna to support him and his family.
According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, Colton received a special hometown escort complete with flashing lights, candy and plenty of smiles. SRO Deputy Kerry Nelson led the parade of vehicles down Colton's street, turning the holiday into an impromptu show of support from the community and its deputies.
A Deputy's Simple Message
Nelson said he was lucky to help make the day special for Colton, according to the sheriff's office post. The gesture came together as a way to lift the spirits of a child who has spent much of the past several months in and out of hospital rooms rather than trick-or-treating with friends.
Earlier this year, WSMV reported that Colton faced a demanding chemotherapy schedule involving recurring treatments.
A Rare and Difficult Diagnosis
Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL is a rare subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to the St. Baldrick's Foundation. The organization notes that survival rates for the subtype have historically trailed behind other forms of pediatric ALL, sitting around 30% with standard chemotherapy alone, though pairing chemo with the drug imatinib has pushed that figure closer to 70% in recent years. Even with that progress, the foundation says survival rates for Ph+ ALL still lag behind the 85% or higher rates seen in most pediatric ALL cases.
Colton continues to face chemotherapy treatment, and his family has mounting medical expenses.
A Community Fundraiser Took Shape Earlier This Year
Months before the Halloween parade, a community fundraiser called Cruisin' for Colton was planned in Smyrna to help offset mounting medical expenses while showing support for Colton and his family, according to Rutherford Source. The event was organized as a vehicle ride and rally, with participants set to gather at 9 a.m. and the ride scheduled to start at 9:45 a.m. School Resource Officer Glenn Smith was among those slated to participate in the ride and rally, the outlet reported.
Whether that fundraiser ultimately took place and how much it raised isn't detailed in available reporting. What is clear is that, months later, Nelson and his colleagues found another way to show up for Colton, this time rolling right down his street with lights flashing and candy in hand, a small but visible reminder that the community and its deputies haven't stopped paying attention to one boy's fight.
