Metro Atlanta 4-year-old finishes cancer battle that took more than half his life
After spending more than half of his life battling cancer, a 4-year-old metro Atlanta boy has finished his treatment.
Austin Herre rang the bell at Children's Arthur M. Blank Hospital this week after 854 days of treatment.
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His mother said he was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) at just six months old more than two years ago.
ALD is a rare disease that affects 1 in 17,000 people. It's a neurological disorder that affects the adrenal glands and brain and causes long-chain fatty acids in the brain, which destroy the protective myelin sheath around nerve cells responsible for brain function.
In January 2023, he was also diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
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That same year, he was able to visit a Cherokee County fire station to see some fire trucks and was named an honorary firefighter.
Members of the Cherokee County Fire Department reunited with him to be at the ceremony marking the end of his treatment.
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