Meet the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Boy of the Year, Dylan Moran

Upon meeting Dylan, it’s impossible to tell that he had just overcome an incredibly hard battle with a grave illness. The smiling, goofy guy grins ear to ear while playing with his family. His favorite phrase? "Buttcheeks."

Dylan is a a trooper 

At first glance, 3-year old Dylan Moran is just like any other spunky boy who likes to play outside and goof off. He's in high spirits, but the last few months have been a tough road for him. Dylan is a fighter and a survivor. At such a young age, he's already been through a major surgery and a medically induced coma.

Dylan's parents received the worst any parent can get 

It all started back in June last year with some swollen lymph nodes. Dylan's parents, Caleb and Alicia Moran, first noticed that his lymph nodes were bigger than usual when they took him to the doctor. At first, the doctors thought he had mono, but things didn't add up. When they checked his blood, his white blood cell test revealed any parents’ worst fear - leukemia.

Dylan went from just a doctor's visit to fighting for his life. The doctors already knew there was only one thing it could be, cancer. Worse yet, they found a football-sized mass inside Dylan's tiny 3-year-old body. Things were looking grim for Dylan and his family.

Drastic measures

At that point, Dylan was in serious condition. He was rushed to Women's & Children's Hospital in Lafayette to get treatment started immediately. His doctor, Dr. Morad, knew that he was going to need something drastic to save his life.

Dr. Ammar Morad took charge of Dylan's medical care. He is the pediatric oncology director at the Women's & Children's Hospital. Dylan was placed into a medically induced coma. For an entire month, he was hooked up to tubes, and his parents didn't see him open his eyes the entire time.

Dylan's parents talked to him even though he couldn't hear or see them

Caleb and Alicia took over the room decor. They didn't even ask permission, but they didn't need to. They filled the dreary hospital walls with colorful and lively pictures of the whole family. They talked to him throughout his coma as if he could still hear them. He was still their son, after all.

Dylan finally woke up

Finally, after 4 weeks, Dylan woke up. His body was incredibly frail, but the football-sized tumor was gone. He was weak, and one of his lungs had failed. The doctors weren't sure if he was going to make it. An entire team came to his rescue, and he was strong enough to pull out of the crisis.

Dylan was awake, but he wasn't talking. His mother, Alicia, was so worried about her son. None of the doctors knew why he wasn't talking, so they scanned his brain for brain activity. There were so many questions, more and more each day. But no answers.

Read on for more of Dylan's story.

Photo: KLFY News