Never walking alone

Shortly after Christmas in 2024, 16-year-old Sam Steedley was enjoying a family hunting trip when he began to experience persistent lower back pain. When the pain escalated and he started vomiting, the Steedley family cut their trip short and returned home to Homerville, Georgia.

On December 28, Sam went to a nearby emergency room and underwent a CT scan that showed several masses throughout his abdomen. The care team promptly sent a referral to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, and Sam was transported by ambulance to Jacksonville the following day.

“We stayed at Wolfson Children’s Hospital for a week, during which time a biopsy was performed,” Sam’s mom, Molly, said.

Faith through fear of a rare diagnosis

On January 10, 2025, Sam was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), a rare and aggressive form of soft tissue cancer (sarcoma).

“Sam’s diagnosis is very rare; about one per 5 million people per year are diagnosed with DSRCT, and it typically happens in adolescents and young adults. While I have treated this before, we usually only see it about once every four to five years,” said Anderson Collier III, MD, pediatric hematologist/oncologist with Wolfson Children’s Hospital and division chief of pediatric hematology/oncology for Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville.

Molly said upon receiving the news of Sam’s diagnosis, she was overcome with fear, doubt and thousands of questions.

“It felt like the ground had disappeared from under us, and I didn’t know how we were going to face what was ahead. But even in those early moments of uncertainty, God gently reminded us that we weren’t walking this journey alone,” she said. “That reminder came to Sam’s dad, Henry, through something so simple: Sam’s phone lock screen.”

The verse on Sam’s phone was Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

“From that moment on, those words became our anchor. We chose to pray more and worry less. Through it all – the fear, the unknown, the long nights – our faith has grown stronger,” Molly said.

Navigating multiple major surgeries

Since his diagnosis, Sam’s journey has been filled with challenges, but also resilience and triumph. He has been hospitalized four times for neutropenic (low levels of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell) fevers, which are a typical sign of infection, undergone 33 rounds of inpatient chemotherapy and spent dozens of hours in the operating room.

Additionally, Sam has traveled to New York City twice for cytoreductive surgeries, which are major operations to remove as much cancer as possible. Together, the surgeries totaled 33 hours.

These procedures are the most important part of Sam’s recovery, according to Dr. Collier.

“Most of the time, it takes more than one of these surgeries. This type of procedure is highly specialized, and there are only a few surgeons in the country with experience performing it. Treatment also includes high-dose chemotherapy and radiation,” Dr. Collier said.

Sam is recovering from his most recent surgery, which happened in June, and will soon begin four weeks of radiation, followed by outpatient chemotherapy.

“Sam has handled everything that has been thrown at him with incredible grace,” Dr. Collier said.

Strength through hospital support

Molly said along with the family’s faith, the Wolfson Children’s Hospital doctors, nurses and other team members have been a constant source of support, calling them “angels on earth.”

“Throughout all of this, we have held onto moments of light and grace. One moment I’ll never forget was meeting  Jacqueline Hochstin, the hospital chaplain at Wolfson Children’s,” Molly recalled. “She came into Sam’s room right before he was taken to the operating room for his biopsy. We were overwhelmed with fear and anxiety, but she prayed the sweetest, most comforting prayer. From that day forward, she became a constant support in our lives.”

As Sam prepares for his upcoming radiation and chemotherapy, he travels to Jacksonville weekly for labwork but continues to push forward with his education. He is a junior in high school, enrolled in a hospital homebound program designed for students who can’t attend traditional school due to illness or a medical condition. He is taking online classes and currently holds the highest GPA in his class.

“What began in fear has become a journey of faith, hope and trust that we never walk alone,” Molly said.

A childhood cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming. Wolfson Children’s Hospital and the pediatric hematologists/oncologists with Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville, provide a spectrum of care for children fighting cancer and support for the whole family. To learn more, visit wolfsonchildrens.com/cancer.