DAVENPORT, Iowa — Inside Mrs. Hodge's classroom, you'll find seven year old Hudson.
"Hudson is a very intense, energetic fun kiddo," his mother Jessica McKearney said. "He's shown more strength than anyone I know."
That strength was on display at 23 months when Hudson was diagnosed with leukemia.
"To say it rocked our world would be an understatement," McKearney said. "He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He went through over three years of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and lumbar punctures."
Hudson's father, Kyle McKearney, says the journey they took on for five years is something no one could ever prepare for.
"We went through everything," Kyle said. "He lost his hair, he stopped walking and talking. We had to teach him a lot of things again because his medicine broke down his body. It was a difficult time for the whole family, but we were grateful to have support throughout it."
During this time, it inspired both Jessica and Kyle to create the Hudson Strong Foundation, an organization dedicated to support families going through pediatric cancer diagnosis in the state of Iowa and the Quad City area.
"We make these care packages individualized for each family," Jessica said. "They could need help with lodging or trave,l or they might need toys in a car seat or bedding. It just depends for every family and we make sure that we help with groceries and gas, because all of this adds up and parents aren't working. We want to help them as much as we can in several different ways."
Alongside helping families, the two are advocates for blood donations. Kyle says Hudson received three bags of bloods the first night he was admitted.
"It's extremely important to many people, including cancer patients," Kyle said. "If you're able to donate, go and do it. It goes a long way for many of us."
Now, Hudson is in remission, living his best life. His parents say it brings them joy to see him live a life that he deserves. Now they are embracing a new journey while inspiring others along the way.
This week, the family is hosting a blood drive at any ImpactLife location in the Quad Cities. To sign up to donate blood, click here. The McKearney family encourages donors to use code 3933 to be part of Hudson's Heroes.
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