Crespin Williams

San Antonio, Texas — In February 2019, when Crespin Williams was 13, he woke up feeling lightheaded. He thought nothing of it so he headed off to his middle school in Del Rio, Texas for the day. However, his school day quickly took a turn. As Crespin waited in the breakfast line in the cafeteria, he passed out and was rushed to an emergency room. Doctors told Crespin's father, Danny Williams, they saw something of concern that required him to be transferred by ambulance to Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio.

"I knew that it was something that Del Rio couldn't handle and that was scary," Williams said.

The news Crespin and his family received sent them into a whirlwind of a journey. Crespin had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He would require immediate treatment.

"I went into shock. I didn't know what leukemia was. I thought I was going to die," Crespin recalled.

Incredibly, the initial shock turned into immediate positivity. Crespin's hopeful spirit would wow his care team and inspire an entire unit of other pediatric patients to trust in healing.

Superman

Crespin spent many weeks on the hematology/oncology unit undergoing chemotherapy. During his hospital stay, he joined other patients in the playroom, enjoying video games, art therapy, and conversation with his peers. He was a light to those around him.

"The nurses would say I was a role model," Crespin said. "That made me feel great."

"His doctor told me Crespin was the poster child for treatment," Williams said. Crespin did not have the usual side effects from chemotherapy, earning him the nickname "superman". His father attributes this positive reaction to Crespin's faith in himself and God. With the use of multiple drugs over several weeks, Crespin and his pediatric hematologists, oncologists, Dr. Manny Esquilin, Dr. Vinod Gidvani-Diaz, and Dr. Maria Falcon-Cantrill were hopeful the cancer cells had reduced to zero. However, further testing revealed he was not yet free of cancer. It was time to decide on the next steps.

Crespin’s oncology team referred him to the bone marrow transplant team for a stem cell transplant. The new treatment involved radiation and chemotherapy, which combined, would give a stronger treatment to kill the cancer cells than he had before. The transplanted cells would then work normally to produce healthy, cancer free blood cells.

"For three days, strapped to a bicycle-type seat, Crespin went through two hours of radiation treatment in the morning, and an additional two hours in the evening," Williams said. Through radiation, Crespin began to lose his hair. His father shaved his head in support.

Transplant Day

"I was a little anxious," Crespin recalled as he thought back to the day of his stem cell transplant. His father said it was a day they turned "fearful into spiritual" by praying a priesthood blessing over the stem cells.

Crespin’s stem cells were from an anonymous donor and the transplant was successful. Since September 13, 2020, Crespin has remained cancer free. He still lives in San Antonio while his transplant physicians, Dr. Lisa Madden and Dr. Michael Eckrich monitor his progress.

"We fell in love with the staff and physicians. They are truly professional in all their teamwork," Williams said.

During his time away from the hospital and appointments, Crespin enjoys playing games and drawing. He says he’s looking forward to being able to enjoy some new activities and meet other childhood cancer survivors at Camp Discovery this summer. His positive outlook on life is sure to impact the children he meets.