10-year-old gymnast beating the odds after fighting rare cancer
ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania -- Strong. It's a perfect word to sum up Coco Lazaridis.
But in her case, for the true meaning of the word, you need to look past those defined muscles, and into her soul. That strength got its start just three months after her birth.
Coco was diagnosed with a type of leukemia called JMML. It's so rare it only affects one in a million children each year. She underwent a bone marrow transplant and at one point doctors said she wouldn't pull through.
Today, Coco is a healthy 10-year-old and one of the best gymnasts in the country.
She's homeschooled and works out at Parkettes Gymnastics in Allentown, Pennsylvania full time, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every single day.
In March, it will be the 10-year anniversary of Coco's bone marrow transplant.
And 10 years from now she wants to go to the Olympics and then Penn State on a scholarship. She's already getting recruiting letters from the school at 10 years old.
And when she gets there, she'll count on reminders of what she went through to help her realize how far she can go.
Coco has a foundation, the Coco Foundation, to help families at CHOP struggling through cancer.
To find out how you can help, especially with their upcoming toy drive, CLICK HERE.
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