Call it a parent’s intuition.
Call it faith.
Call it knowing that sometimes a second opinion can change everything.
For Stacy and Neal Coleman, that second opinion saved their son’s life.
Atlas was about 15 months old when an ordinary family meal turned into a nightmare.
He had been eating a grilled burger when suddenly he became inconsolable.
The parents rushed him to the emergency room, terrified something was stuck in his throat.
An X-ray revealed no foreign object.
But it did reveal something else: a lung abnormality.
A CT scan followed, and doctors diagnosed him with CPAM, a congenital lung lesion that is technically non-cancerous.
The word “benign” brought momentary relief.
But relief quickly gave way to worry, because CPAM can sometimes turn malignant.
The advice was to remove it, but the Colemans wanted a second opinion.
Something in their hearts told them to ask more questions.
That decision changed everything.
At Stead Family Children’s Hospital, the surgeon made them feel safe and understood.
The surgery was scheduled when Atlas was 18 months old.
Stacy remembers crying in the car as they drove to Iowa City.
They knew they had good doctors, but fear is never far when it is your baby going under the knife.
The plan was a two-hour surgery.
But hours passed, and still no news came.
When the surgeon finally emerged, her face was serious.
Dr. Erica Carlisle explained that what she saw didn’t look like CPAM.
Something in her experience told her it might be something far rarer.
She had spent extra hours carefully searching Atlas’s chest cavity, making sure every suspicious bit of tissue was removed.
Biopsy results were pending.
The parents held their breath, praying it was nothing more.
But deep down, they knew life was about to change.
On the final day of Atlas’s hospital stay, Dr. Carlisle entered their room.
Her words remain burned into Stacy’s memory.
“The really rare thing we thought was unlikely to happen… happened.”
Atlas had pleuropulmonary blastoma, an aggressive childhood lung cancer.
It is so rare that only a few children each year are diagnosed.
Through further testing, they also discovered Atlas had a mutation in the DICER1 gene.
This meant he was at risk for multiple types of cancers—not just in his lungs, but potentially in his kidneys, thyroid, and more.
The shock was overwhelming.
But alongside the fear was a glimmer of relief: the cancer had been caught early.
If they had followed the original advice to “wait and monitor,” the tumor could have spread within months.
Atlas’s medical team at Stead Family Children’s Hospital quickly built a custom plan.
Because his cancer was so rare, there was no standard protocol.
His doctors collaborated with experts, combining knowledge to design treatment tailored just for him.
What followed was six months of chemotherapy.
Six months of in-patient stays, weekly drives, scans, and surgeries.
Six months of watching their baby lose the rhythms of childhood to the chaos of cancer.
Stacy recalls how overwhelming it all felt.
“It can so easily feel insurmountable,” she says.
“But a constant source of comfort was the capable team supporting him. They were always patient, responsive, and caring.”
Even when Atlas resisted the endless pokes, blood draws, and scans, the Child Life team stepped in with creativity.
They learned what calmed him.
They found ways to help him feel less afraid.
Doctors and nurses worked hand-in-hand with his parents, always treating him with kindness, never frustration.
Miraculously, scans showed no detectable cancer.
Atlas remained in remission through all of his surveillance.
The relief was immense, but the journey left scars of its own.
Medical anxiety became part of his life.
Every test, every needle became a mountain to climb.
But his resilience grew stronger with every hurdle.
Now, Atlas is 8 years old.
He is in third grade.
He loves drawing, sports, reading, and telling jokes.
“He likes all the things,” Stacy laughs. “He picks up an interest and never puts it down.”
He proudly wears his survivor shirt at cancer walks, letting other families know that beating cancer is possible.
His story gives hope to those still in the fight.
The DICER1 mutation means Atlas will always be monitored.
There is no finish line, only checkups, scans, and vigilance.
But his parents are grateful for every single day.
They never once considered leaving Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
“We tell people all the time: this hospital saved our son’s life,” Stacy says.
Atlas’s story is one of early detection, expert care, and relentless love.
It is also a reminder that intuition matters—that listening to the small voice inside can change everything.
He may have been given a terrifying diagnosis, but today, Atlas lives with joy, curiosity, and strength that inspires everyone around him.
For his parents, the gratitude is endless.
“He is alive today because of the knowledge and proactive care of an incredible team of doctors, nurses, and staff,” Stacy says.
“We are endlessly thankful.”
Atlas is here.
He is thriving.
And his smile is the most powerful proof that hope is never wasted.
