Join us in support of Children's Hospital Colorado's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders – Wilms’ Tumor Research
. . . . . . . . .
Research for pediatric cancer and Wilms’ Tumor is significantly underfunded. In creating this fund, our goal is for Children’s Hospital Colorado to advance research around Wilms' Tumor understanding and research and help future patients and families in the fight against pediatric kidney cancer.
100% of your donations to the Cole Frederking Wilms’ Tumor Fund at Children's Hospital Colorado will be used to fund research that benefits patients and their families in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders who are struggling with this challenging disease.
. . . . . . . . .
Cole’s Story
In June of 2020, at the age of 12 years old, Cole was diagnosed with Stage IV Wilms’ Tumor. Not only was the world in the midst of a global pandemic, but we were just told our son has stage IV cancer.
Only days after diagnosis, Cole had a radical nephrectomy (kidney removal) and spent six days recovering at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He was discharged to go home, only to return a day later to start aggressive chemotherapy, then radiation. He fought bravely, and in February 2021, he was deemed in remission!
He remained in remission for six months, but in August 2021, just as he was starting 8th grade the scans showed the tumors had returned in his lungs. That August, he started an even more aggressive 10-month regimen of treatment, which required several inpatient stays. He also completed another round of radiation. In May 2022, Cole was again deemed in remission!
In August 2022, just as Cole was starting 9th grade, scans again showed tumors in his lungs. He immediately started on chemotherapy and radiation. Over the next year, he would be in and out of short remission cycles, only to stop/start chemotherapy and radiation repeatedly.
In November 2023, Cole was again in remission. To stop the cycle and to hopefully achieve a longer-term remission, he prepped for a Bone Marrow Transplant. He completed the Bone Marrow Transplant in January 2024. He recovered and went back to school in March 2024. In March 2024 he had scans again. Expecting to see clear scans and continued remission, we instead saw new tumors in his lungs.
He immediately started chemotherapy and radiation again over the course of several months. However, in June 2024 the tumors grew WHILE on chemotherapy and radiation. The tumors had grown resistant to treatment.
We were told there were limited options and none very promising. We weighed the options, tried some treatments, however in the end, the tumors just grew too fast to contain. After a four-year, valiant fight against cancer, Cole passed away from respiratory failure from complications of tumors in his lungs in August 2024.
If you knew Cole, you would know what a kind, hard-working, intelligent and humorous person he was. Cole strived for excellence in everything he did. He set a goal and achieved it. In his younger years, he gave 100% to baseball, soccer, running, Boy Scouts and school. After his cancer diagnosis in 2020, he refocused his energy to maintaining a positive attitude during treatment, getting a 4.0 in school and reinvented himself, becoming a determined and accomplished actor with Stage Flight Theatre.
Throughout four-years of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, he never complained. He created deep bonds with family, students, teachers and medical staff alike. We all miss him dearly.
Thank you for supporting this campaign to fund the necessary research, study and activities to treat Wilms’ Tumor and help more patients and their families!
Please join us in celebrating Cole's memory by donating today.
