Calvin Blevins loves Spider Man, his bike and his books. He loves life – but he's also endured a lifetime of pain. "He was born with a cleft lip and palate about a month later he got spinal meningitis then they found out he had a hole in his heart," Calvin's mother, April Monroe, explained.
In simple terms, Calvin was born with the centerline of his body under-developed.
Calvin has no spleen, has had meningitis three times and a blood infection that nearly killed him. After nearly a dozen surgeries, he's beaten the odds time and time again. Now Calvin is facing another battle. April says, "He's in bone marrow failure, a plastic anemia, and his platelets are depleting his red blood cells and the last part of his white cells."
To save Calvin's life, doctors at UNC performed a bone marrow transplant this week that will end up costing nearly $500,000. Calvin's family doesn't have that kind of money, but they do have support.
Calvin is a kindergartner at Creedmoor Elementary School. The school has really gotten behind him with fundraisers and various ways to raise money to help with upcoming surgery, but it's not just the school that got involved, the entire community is trying to help.
April says she's blown away by the outpouring of support. "The sheriff's department is doing a basketball game for us." She says for the next year, she'll have to stay home with her some as his immune system rebuilds itself.
Durham this time Calvin says he'll read about his heroes.
