FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Fresno Pacific University students are rallying to help those fighting cancer. The school hosted a blood drive and bone marrow donor campaign Tuesday, and it was all centered around nine-year-old Tristen Graham who beat Leukemia in 2023.
Everyone experiences moments when they realize they have to be tougher than their circumstances. For Tristen, that moment came when he was 4 years old.
"We were shocked by it. We did not expect this to happen," Tristen's dad Tyler Graham said.
Tristen was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2019.
"My wife and I have seen him whittle down to 25 lbs as a four year old," Graham said.
Tristen eventually entered a temporary remission until the cancer came back in 2022.
"It was a lot harder than the first time. The second time I had a lot more idea of what was happening," Tristen said.
His family had to move near Stanford for a few months to get a much-needed bone marrow transplant. They say, through every hospital visit and treatment, Tristen did the hard thing: he remained hopeful.
"It's tough, but if you keep going, it's going to be better at the end," Tristen said.
Tristen did get better, and now his family is working to help others.
They partnered with Fresno Pacific University to set up Tuesday's drive, getting many students to donate blood and get their bone marrow type tested.
"We've had so many of our friends that have been waiting in Greycroft Valley Children's that need to go home, can go home, but they're literally waiting on platelets and the blood center doesn't have any," Graham said.
So, although the event's theme was 'Tough like Tristen,' they say it's about more than one child; it's about an entire community banding together to fight cancer.