On October 29, 2025, Carter’s life changed forever. Carter’s cancer journey actually started months before that day. During the summer of 2025, he began experiencing leg pain that would come and go. At first, it seemed like something that would eventually pass, but over time the pain continued and his limp became harder and harder to ignore. On October 29, 2025, an MRI revealed a tumor in Carter’s left femur. He was immediately sent to Duke Children’s Hospital for further testing, where he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Over the next several months, Carter faced everything that came with childhood cancer — intense chemotherapy, hospital stays, countless appointments, scans, and a major surgery. In February 2026, doctors removed 14 inches of the top portion of his femur where the tumor was located and replaced it with a titanium rod, giving him the chance to keep his leg and continue moving forward. The pathology results after surgery brought incredible news: 100% of the cancer in the removed bone was dead. But Carter still had more precautionary treatment ahead, completing a total of 7 months of chemotherapy. Through it all, one thing never changed…
Carter’s love for fishing!
Carter has ALWAYS been a fisherman at heart. He wakes up thinking about fishing and goes to bed thinking about fishing. Even as a little kid, his Halloween costume was a fisherman, and his Christmas gifts often included toy boats he carried around everywhere. So when Carter talked about his dream for life after cancer, it wasn’t anything complicated, he wanted a fishing boat!! At the beginning of this journey, Carter’s mom started a TikTok account to document Carter’s journey. It was never meant to become anything big, it was simply a way to capture the moments, the struggles, and the victories so he could look back one day and remember how far he had come. But over time, something incredible happened. Those following along became a community, a group of people offering encouragement, prayers, support, and hope.
After Carter’s surgery, he spent nearly a week recovering in the hospital. During that time, so many people asked what they could send him to make him smile. One day, while stuck in the hospital, Carter jokingly said: “We should start a GoFundMe for my fishing boat… that’s really what I want!”
What started as a hospital joke quickly became something much bigger. Carter shared his idea, and his community SHOWED UP. The GoFundMe raised over $10,000 and allowed Carter to buy his dream fishing boat right before finishing his final chemotherapy treatment in June 2026.
That boat became so much more than a boat. It represented freedom, healing, making memories, and getting back to the thing Carter loves most, being on the water! On June 19, 2026, Carter finished his final chemotherapy treatment at Duke Children’s Hospital, officially completing his cancer treatment journey.
After the fear, the surgeries, the treatments, and the hard days, Carter made it to the other side.
His story is a reminder that even in the hardest seasons, there is hope. It’s the story of a kid who fought with incredible strength, a community that showed up when he needed it most, and a new chapter filled with fishing trips, memories, and simply getting to be a kid again.
