Boy Diagnosed With Rare Kidney Cancer Before First Birthday Now Thriving After Treatment

Ezekiel, better known as Zeke, is a happy baby boy who’s always smiling and eager to greet everyone he meets. But in October 2025, his parents, Anna and Yaroslav Yavorski, got the news no family ever wants to hear: their 8-month-old son had cancer.

“We were hoping it was nothing, but when we got that call from his pediatrician, we were a wreck. It was hard to imagine how a baby would even be able to go through something like this,” says Ezekiel’s mom, Anna, of North Royalton, Ohio.

Just three weeks before the diagnosis, Anna noticed Zeke was having feeding issues and wasn’t finishing his bottles. Around the same time, a chiropractor Zeke had been seeing for another reason felt a lump in his abdomen – a red flag, especially since Zeke’s father had been diagnosed at 9 months old with a tumor, which often presents as a firm or swollen area in the abdomen.

“After several scans and tests to rule out other types of cancer, Ezekiel was ultimately diagnosed with a Wilms tumor – the same type his father had,” says Anna.

Wilms tumor is a type of kidney cancer found mostly in children. Although rare, it’s typically very treatable.

“Zeke’s first line of treatment was chemotherapy. The goal was to try to shrink the tumor before doing surgery to cut it out,” says Anna, who adds Cleveland Clinic Children's pediatric hematologist-oncologist Stefanie Thomas, MD, oversaw his chemotherapy treatments.

After six weeks of chemo, follow-up scans showed smaller cancerous spots on his kidneys had nearly disappeared, but surgery was still needed to remove the main tumor. At the time of his diagnosis, doctors also discovered Zeke had a congenital condition called horseshoe kidney, in which the kidneys are fused together in a horseshoe shape, making the tumor more complicated to remove.

“It’s a very challenging anatomy to work with surgically because the major blood vessels connect to both kidneys. We needed to remove the tumor without affecting how his kidneys function,” says pediatric surgeon Gloriamaria Gonzalez Garcia, MD, who used a 3D-virtual model of Zeke’s anatomy to plan for surgery in collaboration with pediatric urologist Jessica Hannick, MD.

“When we treat a patient, it’s never just one person – we are a team. We don’t hesitate to bring in other specialists to provide the best care,” says Dr. Gonzalez.

In December 2025, Zeke underwent a complex nephron-sparing surgery – an operation designed to remove the tumor while preserving as much healthy kidney tissue as possible. A fluorescent dye was used during the surgery to make key structures easier to see, helping guide the operation and improve safety.

“During the surgery, they were able to remove the tumor completely and separate his horseshoe kidney, so he now has two distinct kidneys. The tumor was completely encapsulated as well, meaning it didn’t break open and none of the cancer cells escaped,” says Anna.

Following the successful surgery, Zeke underwent a few more rounds of chemotherapy to ensure any remaining cancer cells were eliminated and to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.

“After completing his treatment, Zeke currently has no evidence of disease, and his kidney function remains good. We’ll continue monitoring him,” says Dr. Gonzalez.

Since ringing the Bravery Bell to mark the end of his treatment, 1-year-old Zeke is now walking and reaching all his milestones. Anna and Yaroslav say they’re thankful for the support of their family, friends and church community, who wrapped their arms around them during such a difficult time. They’re also grateful for Zeke’s care team, who they say always made them feel comforted, heard and acknowledged.

“Six months ago on a cold day in October, we got the news no parent wants to hear. However, God was faithful, he was good and our sweet boy came out on the other side. There are no words that could display our gratitude enough for all the prayers and support we have received to get us through this time,” says Anna.