Landon Rogers
Age 6 Whenever gift shop employees feel a little tug at their pant leg, they knows it’s one of their favorite patients—Landon Rogers—looking for a bright-colored gumball. One employee says “her heart smiles” whenever 6-year-old Landon visits. The hearts of employees throughout Providence Health & Services Alaska react the same way when they encounter the sweet little boy from Kenai, Alaska, whose life has been spent almost entirely within the hospital. Landon’s life has been one of medical trial after medical trial. A premature birth was the first of a host of medical conditions that compounded each year. From a life-threatening respiratory virus at 3-months old, to failure to thrive, to eye and lung cancer, Landon has endured like a true champion. In 2007 he was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or HLH, a rare genetic disorder that compromises his immune system. Despite his medical challenges, Landon has lived with gusto. Wherever he is you’ll find laughter and no matter where he goes, hearts certainly smile. |
