Now cancer-free, 11-year-old Porter living life to the fullest
The Free Care Fund at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh ensures no child is denied medical care.
And every year since 1954, KDKA-TV has helped raise money for the Free Care Fund with our annual holiday telethon.
This week, as we get ready for our 72nd annual telethon, we want you to meet some of the children who are alive today thanks to the care they received at UPMC Children's.
Among them is 11-year-old Porter Harmon, of Ingomar, one of our two junior co-hosts for this year's telethon. While popping wheelies on his bike, shooting hoops in the driveway, and playing football with his dad and older brother in the front yard, Harmon looks like a lot of other boys.
But Harmon is not your average fifth grader.
"He inspires us every single day just by how he lives his life," said Porter Harmon's father, Mark Harmon.
When Porter Harmon was just 3 years old, his mother noticed a nasty bruise on his arm.
Holly Harmon recalled asking him, "Porter, what happened? Where did that come from? 'Oh, I don't know.' Typical 3-year-old kid."
After noticing a few other bruises, she called their paediatrician. And after a suspicious-looking blood test, Porter Harmon was sent to UPMC Passavant for more bloodwork.
"By the time we got home, they said, 'We need you to get down to Children's emergency room right away. We don't like what we see,'" Holly Harmon said.
Within 24 hours at UPMC Children's Hospital, Porter Harmon was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. He began chemotherapy just a few days later and did several rounds of it over the next six months.
Mark Harmon said, "Children's did such a wonderful job from that first moment we were there up until the last moment that we left."
Because he was so young, Porter Harmon doesn't remember much. But what he does remember seems to be only the good things.
Porter Harmon said, "I remember foot massages at night and yoga and painting and the playroom and soccer with my nurses and doctors and dad."
And that's by design. At UPMC Children's Hospital, workers focus not only on the physical health and well-being of every patient, but also on their emotional health.
"Those people are heroes. The doctors, everybody there, they know what the families are going through, but they make it as pleasant of an experience as they can humanly possibly make it. And I think that's part of that family-like atmosphere that Children's Hospital creates." Mark Harmon said.
The Harmons also had a community of care and compassion around them at home.
"I know with our faith, our family, our friends, we couldn't have done it without them. Our neighbor across the street at the time was a high school junior, I want to say. And he made these Porter Power bracelets, and I still have mine on. I'll never take it off. It's just a reminder of what we've been through and how we're standing here seven years later," Mark Harmon said.
Porter Harmon is now five years cancer-free and got a huge surprise when he went to ring the bell.
"I walked in the room and around the corner, Cam Heyward was there. I was like 'Cam Heyward!' He met me in the hospital before, and I just loved him. He's like turned into my favorite player," Porter Harmon said.
But the Steelers player wasn't the only Pittsburgh sports celebrity Porter Harmon met during his time at UPMC Children's Hospital. In 2018, he got to meet several Pittsburgh Penguins players, including Sidney Crosby.
Porter is also now part of the Pediatric Cancer Survivorship program at UPMC Children's Hospital, which, among other things, helps to educate young cancer survivors about their health history.
Porter Harmon said, "Because I don't remember much, it'll help me when I'm in the doctor's office when I need to sign paperwork about what health issues you've had, and I can write down that I had cancer."
"It's such a cool program that they thought of because a little boy that was 3 and 4 years old doesn't remember and doesn't know. And now he can be taught what his health history is," Holly Harmon added.
And while Porter Harmon's history is important, the family is also enjoying the present and focusing on the future.
"He's thriving and doing well now and in remission and living his best life. He's ready to take on any adventure. He wants to learn. He wants to live. Whatever he puts his mind to, he's going to do it," Holly Harmon said.
Mark added, "Every night I pray by his bed, and that's what I ask for. I just ask for health and happiness, and he exemplifies it every single day. And when your own kid is your hero, it's very special as a parent."
"I feel amazing. It's good to do whatever I want. I'm super blessed that God healed me in the hospital, and people said so many prayers for me. It's just special that I'm cancer-free now," Porter said.
And now is your chance to help kids just like Porter. Please join KDKA-TV on Thursday from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. and donate to the Free Care Fund. Your donations help thousands of local children and their families every year, and we couldn't do it without you.