OLDHAM COUNTY, Ky. — September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and one Kentucky boy is sharing his inspiring story for other kids battling cancer. Eight-year-old Abel Durham fought brain cancer for the past three years, and now, he gets to fight for something else — football.

Abel just underwent his second brain surgery a couple of months ago, officially being cleared to play tackle football when the youth season began several weeks ago.

 At one of his practices, Abel’s parents explained he fought for three years against a type of brain tumor called glioma. It all started shortly after Ryan and Ashley Durham learned that Abel and his two brothers needed foster parents who would eventually adopt them.

The Durhams and their oldest son, Cameron, applied, they thought, to take in one boy.

“Never did we think we were going to have all three of them,” Ashley laughed, with Ryan adding, “No, we were thinking one, not three!”

But when they were chosen to be all three boys’ new family, they couldn’t say no.

“Everything we knew about them was a clean bill of health, superb kids, just needed a home, were looking for their forever home, and that’s what we were,” Ryan said.

In Abel’s case, though, his health quickly declined in Dec. 2020 when they joined the family. 

“They came to live with us on the 12th. By Christmas time, his right eye had started to kick in toward his left, so it was a noticeable thing,” Ryan recalled. “What we thought was just a simple needing glasses turned into really maybe saving his life.”

Even after one doctor said Abel was okay, Ryan’s father, who’s an optometrist, insisted that the young boy get an MRI. That test caught the glioma.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that God works in such amazing ways,” Ryan said. “We were exactly what he was supposed to be — this was where we were supposed to be. This is where he was supposed to be. I mean, my dad pushed for an MRI when there wasn’t going to be an MRI otherwise, we could have been months to years down the road without catching this, had this scenario not happened.”

Just a preschooler when he was diagnosed, Abel went through two brain surgeries, a lot of milestones and three years of on and off treatment. He earned the nickname “Incredible Abel” for his positive attitude and will to fight.

Family, friends and even his teachers often wore t-shirts and bracelets with #incredibleabel on them.

And while his parents are grateful for all the support that helped make that time better, Ashley explained Abel just needs some normalcy.

“I don’t think he’s ever had the opportunity to be a typical kid, but now he has the chance,” she said.

All throughout chemotherapy treatments, Abel told his parents he just wanted to be well enough to try football — so signing him up was a given once he made it into remission.

“I’m just thrilled for him, that he gets to be part of a team, and truly be part and not just be on the sideline watching,” Ryan said.

Abel’s neuro-oncologist at Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, Dr. Michael Huang, says Abel is a great success story thanks in part to his parents’ early action.

“I think it’s important for every parent to know what signs to look out for, for brain tumors,” Huang said, explaining, “Mainly, what it is, is a headache, especially if its first thing in the morning, throwing up, especially first thing in morning, especially throwing up without having diarrhea. That’s always a big red flag.”

Abel’s mom sums it up with a football metaphor, saying, “You’re your child’s biggest advocate, so if you think something’s not right, you’re their first line defense. You’re the one who goes for it.”

Huang and the rest of the team at Norton Children’s Cancer Institute’s Neuro-Oncology Program will continue to watch Abel closely. His family is hopeful the glioma will not return, but Huang says there is a promising, newly approved combination therapy to fight his type of tumor, if it does.

Huang says Kentucky has the third highest rate of children with brain tumors of any state in the country and the highest number of adults with brain tumors. He says researchers are working to understand why there are such high incidences of brain cancer in the state.