Meet Carter

When Carter was 4 years old, his health suddenly began to decline. He stopped walking, he was losing weight, and he had unexplained bruising on his face. He also started isolating himself. His pediatrician thought he was anemic, but his bloodwork told a different story.

Carter was diagnosed with leukemia and admitted to Phoenix Children’s. He stayed in the hospital for seven days after his diagnosis and then began outpatient chemotherapy. 

Though he was only a preschooler, Carter showed tremendous courage, strength and resilience.

“He was brave, strong and so positive,” says his mom, Marie. “He never complained.” When he had to have a chemotherapy port implanted under his skin, he pretended that it was a “superhero button” that would transform him into a superhero with one push.

Carter's care team at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders was “so amazing,” Marie says. “They always loved when Carter would come in. We made friends with the nurses and the security guards.”

During his leukemia treatment, Carter had to be hospitalized for a week. At the time, there were few toys for him to play with. After he completed treatment, he decided to hold a toy drive so that no kid would ever have to be in the hospital without toys. So far, he and his family have held three toy drives, collecting hundreds of toys for Phoenix Children's patients.   

Carter's treatment was successful, and he was able to go back to regular life with his family. Now 9, he visits Phoenix Children’s several times a year for checkups to make sure he's staying healthy. He enjoys playing football and soccer, and he loves working on trucks and motorcycles with his dad.

Marie says Carter is a compassionate, loving kid who wants to help the homeless when he grows up. In 2024, he had the opportunity to create his own superhero as part of Power Play, a collaboration between Phoenix Children's and Arizona State University. An student fashion designer from ASU helped him bring to life the Superhero of Adventures, who takes sick kids away from the pain of their illness and treatment by whisking them away on adventures around the world.