Cole Zelwin was a fifth-grader at Orchard Middle School in Solon, Ohio. He loved music, art, and being kind to others. He played electric guitar and sang vocals in bands at his local School of Rock. He was a selfless, caring, and smart kid who could talk to anyone with ease. He had a bright future ahead of him.
But on May 3, 2023, Cole’s life was cut short by a rare and aggressive form of leukemia. He died just 48 hours after being diagnosed with the disease. His family and friends were left devastated and heartbroken by his sudden and tragic loss.
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What is Leukemia and How Did It Affect Cole?
Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood cells. It occurs when the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells that do not function properly and crowd out the normal ones. This can lead to infections, bleeding, anemia, and other problems.
There are many types of leukemia, but Cole had a rare one called acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is a fast-growing cancer that affects the myeloid cells, which are responsible for producing red blood cells, platelets, and some types of white blood cells. AML can cause symptoms such as fever, fatigue, bruising, bleeding, bone pain, and weight loss.
According to Fox 8 Cleveland, Cole’s mother, Courtney Zelwin, noticed some bruises on her son’s body in May 2023. She thought they were from him playing soccer. But when he started feeling sick, she took him to the doctor. They did a blood test and told her to take him to the hospital immediately.
Cole was admitted to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital on Monday, May 1. He was diagnosed with AML and started chemotherapy right away. But his condition worsened rapidly. He developed complications such as internal bleeding and organ failure. He passed away on Wednesday, May 3.
How Did Cole’s Family and Community Honor His Memory?
Cole’s death shocked and saddened his family and community. They remembered him as a special and talented boy who had a lot to offer to the world. They wanted to honor his memory and his love for helping others.
Cole’s family started a foundation in his name: The Cole Zelwin Memorial Foundation. The foundation aims to raise money for AML research and to help other families who have been affected by pediatric AML. They hope to find a cure for this deadly disease and prevent other children from suffering like Cole did.
One of the ways they raised money was through selling t-shirts with Cole’s artwork on them. Cole was an artistic kid who loved drawing and painting. He was especially fond of popsicles and ice cream. He used to go to a local ice cream parlor called Pop Culture CLE every week and was proud to see his artwork displayed there.
The owner of the ice cream parlor, Nicole Dauria, decided to print one of Cole’s paintings of a pink popsicle on t-shirts and give them to his family. The t-shirts were so popular that many people wanted to buy them. Dauria agreed to sell them and donate all the proceeds to the foundation.
The t-shirts were a way of celebrating Cole’s life and spreading his message of kindness and generosity. As his mother said, “Everyone just think about Cole and be kind to others and be generous and that’s what Cole would want.”
