This is one of those stories that reminds us how strong our community can be, even in the hardest moments. In this article, a local family shares how small, everyday reminders became symbols of something much bigger, and how their grief turned into a mission that’s now helping children across the country.
In this story:
A child’s journey through pediatric cancer and the love that surrounded him
The promise made to keep fighting for other children and families
How D-Feet Cancer is helping fund vital pediatric cancer research
Ways the community can support this ongoing mission
We’re grateful to this family for trusting us with Dalton’s story. We hope it encourages reflection, compassion, and continued support for the children and families still in the fight.
— Kim Checcio
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How One Family Is D-Feeting Pediatric Cancer
By Will Fox
Running my hands across the floor just behind the vacuum, I recently smiled after realizing the spot was actually a gouge. Not too many parents smile when they notice a chunk of the kitchen hardwood floor missing, but Jen and I do. We fondly remember the sounds of crutching across the floor on early weekend mornings as we lay in bed trying to sneak in a few more minutes of sleep. Every now and then, we would hear a crutch fall to the floor and eventually realized that unattended falling crutches don’t pair particularly well with hardwood floors.
We don’t hear crutching anymore. While the dents in the floor are here, our son Dalton is not. D, as we often called him, was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma just after his ninth birthday in 2018. After three years of chemotherapy, thirteen surgeries including an amputation, multiple rounds of radiation, and multiple clinical trials, Dalton passed away in May of 2021. Our son was twelve years old and a sixth grader at Great Neck Middle School when he passed away from metastatic Ewing Sarcoma. Just before Dalton left us, Jen and I promised him we would continue fighting pediatric cancer for kids like him.
Jen and I never thought our son would get cancer; much less be taken from us by the disease. Dalton just wanted to be a “regular” kid. He was smart, quick-witted, inquisitive, independent, funny, and loving, but he hated sharing food. D wanted to get a pedicure and see if they would give him half off. He once told a kindergartener that his leg was on vacation and had a new nurse search under the hospital blankets, to no avail, for his left foot.
Six months after Dalton left us, we formed D-Feet Cancer. While our name is a semi-humorous play on Dalton’s nickname and his post amputation reality, our mission is of critical importance. D-Feet Cancer directly funds research into under-studied pediatric cancers. Doctors in Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Vancouver, and Los Angeles are currently supported by D-Feet Cancer and we hope to support researchers find more effective and less toxic treatments for other childhood cancers as resources become available. D-Feet Cancer supporters have funded over $480,000 of research since 2022. 100% of donations and all event proceeds flow directly to pediatric cancer researchers in honor of Dalton and the 16,000 kids in America diagnosed with cancer every year.
While we love donations, fundraising events help us discover more effective and less toxic treatments. D-Feet Cancer hosts Dalton’s Dash 5K in May, skydiving in August, and a golf tournament in October. Our second annual gala will be held on February 21st at the Neon House in downtown Norfolk. Guests will be treated to music, dancing, gourmet food, an open bar, and both silent and live auctions. The gala aims to bring together our community to have some fun and support groundbreaking research. To learn more about Dalton, how you can help us D-Feet Cancer, the gala, or any of our events please visit https://dfeetcancer.org/events/
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