ROGERS, Ark. — A local 10-year-old boy has recovered from COVID-19 after battling the virus while also battling cancer.
Riley Duckworth was told Wednesday (May 6) that he beat COVID-19 and he has just one more round of chemotherapy left until he is in remission.
“You stupid cancer, I can’t wait to beat you up,” Riley said.
The fourth-grader was diagnosed with leukemia in February and began a course of chemotherapy before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it all came to a screeching halt when he tested positive for the virus.
Although he's now back on track, he's ready to beat his cancer too.
“He’s had about five different tests done. They keep testing him to make sure it doesn’t relapse, but the latest one came back negative yesterday, but he’s had five different tests done,” Riley's mother Michelle said.
His parents Jeremy and Michelle alternate staying with him at Children's Hospital in Little Rock while the other takes care of their other son at home in Rogers.
“It’s hard because it’s changed so much since when it first started," Michelle said. "At first we could have two people in the room and he could have guests and all kinds of stuff but now he can’t leave the room and we can’t even exchange in the hospital, we have to do outside the wing so it’s whenever I see him we can only leave Riley for a couple of hours and then come back. So that’s no fun.”
Right now, Riley and his parents play lots of games to pass the time.
“It’s fun, it’s very fun, it doesn’t cost that much from Walmart,” Riley said.
They also watch TV and of course keep up on his school work.
Looking towards the future, Riley says he's looking forward to one certain thing.
“I am very much looking forward to camping,” he said.
His doctors say around the end of the summer is when he will hopefully be done with treatment and on the road to recovery.