Stanley Glowacki, 5, of Merrimack, during his cancer treatment. Courtesy photo

MERRIMACK – Having fought leukemia for the past two years, 5-year-old Stanley Glowacki is now on the verge of winning that battle.

When Stanley was 3, his mother, Megan Cahill, began noticing “random bruising” on his body as well as abnormal behavior.

“For about two weeks, Stanley was not himself at all,” she said.

One day, the daycare center called and said Stanley had developed a fever and needed to go home. Upon seeing her son, Cahill had a feeling that this was more than just a fever.

She took him to the pediatrician, who initially suspected that Stanley was anemic. The doctor also ordered blood testing to further investigate the ailment. The test results suggested that Stanley had leukemia.

Shown from left, are Megan Cahill, Stanley Glowacki, 5, Everly Glowacki, 7, and Nathan Glowacki. Courtesy photo

“Within two hours, we were on our way to the hospital,” said Cahill, adding that the news hit her like a “freight train.”

Cahill’s husband, Nathan Glowacki, an officer with the Hudson Police Department, said Stanley’s diagnosis forced him to realize that he could not protect his son from everything.

“Feeling helpless is one of the hardest things in the world. You watch your little boy endure more in a few years than most people will in a lifetime and somehow, he still finds reasons to laugh, play, and be a kid. Stanley has changed the way I look at life,” said Glowacki. “He’s taught me not to take the little things for granted and to appreciate every ordinary day. We’re so proud of him, and as we approach the end of treatment, we’re ready for the next chapter, one where he gets to spend less time in hospitals and more time just being a little boy.”

Cahill said they were initially sent to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. There, Stanley was diagnosed with high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“This isn’t something that gets better on its own,” said Cahill.

After one month, Cahill and Glowacki wanted a second opinion.

They left Dartmouth Hitchcock and went to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Boston Children’s Hospital, the top pediatric cancer center in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

While meeting with doctors at Children’s, Cahill and Glowacki learned that Stanley’s cancer was treatable and that the three-year survival rate was 96 percent.

“They have the treatment down pat,” she said.

Cahill, an employee at the U.S. District Court in Concord, said she took six months off work to be with her son. Her friends and family pitched in as well.

“My mom completely rearranged her work schedule,” she said.

Although this type of leukemia was treatable, that did not mean Stanley was without challenges. His doctors quickly learned that the cancer had spread to his spine, which called for six lumbar punctures. During one of the procedures, Stanley’s spinal dura mater was torn, which caused cerebral fluid to leak into his brain.

After three weeks at Children’s, Stanley was discharged. He returns to the hospital once a week for chemotherapy. Cahill said Stanley was also well enough to start kindergarten and that his treatment is expected to be completed in November.

“We’ve spent more than two years dreaming of this moment and it’s hard to believe we’re finally here. We’re so excited for Stanley to finish treatment and for our family to start this next chapter, but we’ll never forget the people who helped carry us here,” said Cahill. “Our friends, family and community have shown up for us in ways we can never fully repay. We’re walking away from this chapter with more gratitude than words can express and we’re looking forward to the simple things we’ve learned never to take for granted, making memories and letting Stanley just be a kid.”