When Rhett Taylor was just two years and eight months old, he came down with what his parents believed was a cold. But as the cold lingered, more symptoms emerged, and something didn’t add up. “He wasn’t eating or sleeping well, and he was so congested,” recalls Rhett’s mom, Maryana Kodner. “We kept going to the doctor, but they couldn’t figure out what was going on. I even took him to several ear, nose and throat specialists, but they had no answers.”
After two months of visiting specialists, Maryana took her son back to the pediatrician. “By that point, Rhett had lost a lot of weight, and he looked pretty sick,” she remembers. “His pediatrician told me to go to the emergency room and get a full workup. She recommended Columbia Presbyterian Children’s Hospital, where she trained.”
The family, who moved to Chappaqua four years ago, lived in Manhattan at the time and took a cab to the hospital. Rhett was struggling to breathe, so a chest X-ray was first. “That’s when it became obvious something was seriously wrong,” Maryana says. “Rhett’s lungs were covered in masses.” Rhett was admitted to the ICU, where bloodwork and a lumbar puncture confirmed the unthinkable: Rhett had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
“It was like having an out-of-body experience,” Maryana remembers. “This was something that happened to other people, not us. My worst-case scenario was that he might need his adenoids removed. To hear it was cancer was devastating.”
A targeted strategy
Doctors immediately began induction therapy—an intensive, month-long treatment designed to push the cancer, which had spread throughout Rhett’s body, into remission. “We were told this was treatable and they’d done it many times before,” Maryana recalls. “Our doctor even said, ‘Don’t worry, in a little while Rhett will be out playing soccer with all the other kids.’ That felt impossible to believe when we were looking at the scans, but we held on to those words.”
Rhett’s treatment plan also included an eight-day course of cranial radiation, which was not without risk but had been demonstrated to increase the success of treatment for his type of leukemia. After the first 30 days, Rhett was considered to be in remission, but he received two additional years of maintenance treatments to ensure the cancer wouldn’t return.
Rhett (top right) and his family last fall.
Little bright moments
Throughout the ordeal, the family found comfort from the support of Hope & Heroes, a nonprofit founded in 1996. Hope & Heroes serves the tri-state area, funding research for pediatric cancer and blood disorders, while also providing critical support to families in treatment. “They were instrumental to seeing us and other patients through this journey,” Maryana remembers. “They supported the child life specialists; they brought in art therapists and massage therapists. They really made all the kids feel like kids—not patients.”
“They also invited us to fun events, like baseball games and car shows,” Rhett remembers. And while he says he was too young to remember much of the experience, Rhett does remember the people. “I’m kind of happy that I don’t remember the chemo,” he says. “But I remember the hospital and the people. I can still picture the massage therapist. I don’t remember her name, but I can picture her. And the people who work there remember everyone. We were there a couple of months ago, and they all recognized me and greeted me by name.“
For Rhett, the organization’s impact is clear, even if his memories are fragmented. “I know they made the hospital a better place to be,” he says. “I remember enjoying my visits and not being scared to go back.”
Fast forward
Rhett completed treatment in September 2014, right as he started kindergarten. “I don’t think they ever use the word ‘cured,’” Maryana explains. “They call it long-term remission. But seeing Rhett healthy and active now feels like a miracle.”
Today, Rhett is 15 years old and plays football and lacrosse. Apart from lingering ankle issues from treatment—currently managed with physical therapy—he lives a full and busy life. And while the two years of treatments are in the past, the family hasn’t forgotten Hope & Heroes’ impact. They continue to participate in walks and fundraising events to help other children and families.
“The work they do is very, very personal,” says Maryana. “They provide services that ease the strain on families without resources. Hope & Heroes makes sure families have transportation to medical appointments, meals to eat, childcare for the children who are not ill, and other social services and logistics that you don’t even think about at first. They fill so many gaps and play such a huge role in people’s lives. They’re helping families and children just like Rhett; that’s why we’ll always stay connected.”
“The name ‘Hope & Heroes’ is so apt,” Maryana continues, choking back tears. “The doctors and nurses, the art therapists and the child life specialists—they gave us hope when we felt none. They really are heroes, saving lives every single day.”
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and no family should face this diagnosis alone. Just as Hope & Heroes was there for Rhett, they’ve helped thousands of families and children live beyond cancer. Visit hopeandheroes.org to learn more about their work and upcoming gala on November 6. Your donation helps fuel hope, and it lets kids be kids.
This partner content was published in the September/October 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
The editorial staff at Connect To magazine.
