A Cougar football coach needs our help

Cancer is a blight on humanity, and this week it touched the WSU football team when Brody Brown, the 3-year-old son of assistant strength and conditioning coach Tyson Brown, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Brody, Tyson and family are currently in Spokane for the initial phases of treatment.

As many of you know, this is something that is as near to my heart as it gets -- my middle son, Trystian, was diagnosed with the same kind of leukemia in May 2012, just before his third birthday:

That picture was taken during the initial hospital stay. This one was taken in July after he finished the last of his medications:

J. Hobson Photography

If you do the math, it takes more than three years of treatment for boys to beat leukemia, and a lot happened between those two pictures. But Trystian, who is now 6 years old and in kindergarten, did beat it; he's been in full remission since then, with all of his blood tests coming back at the proper levels during his monthly checks. The final connection to his treatment -- the port embedded in his chest -- is going to be surgically removed on December 30.

So, I know a thing or two about what Tyson and his family are about to endure. It's a long journey that has affected my family in ways I couldn't have possibly imagined.

There is a page set up for donations to the Browns, but Tyson has a request:

@CougCenter we thank you so much for supporting our sons battle! Go Cougs. pic.twitter.com/qr8cY3r55e

— Tyson Brown (@TysonBrown_) December 12, 2015

A.L.L. is a very treatable disease -- the cure rate is above 90 percent. Trystian beat it, and so will Brody. Let's do whatever we can so that the Browns -- and all families currently battling cancer -- can take their own, complete family pictures three years from now:

Soulumination

If you'd like to pass along well wishes to Tyson, you can find him on Twitter.

Go Cougs.