CEDAR FALLS - Elijah Carlson was only 7 months old when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of infant cancer.

He was almost 18 months old when he finished chemotherapy and his family was told his cancer was gone.

Two months later, Dawn and Nathan Carlson were told their son's cancer had returned.

Now, they are working to get Elijah's cancer back into remission so he can undergo a bone marrow transplant. The Carlson's are one of the lucky families - if anyone in that position can be considered lucky. Their 9-year-old son, Isaiah, is considered a perfect marrow match for his younger brother.

"We are ecstatic. Any transplant doctor you talk to will say if you can pick anyone to donate it would be a relative," Dawn said. "The closer related they are, the better likelihood for success."

Dawn Carlson started noticing the problem when Elijah stopped eating and moving. The active 7-month-old had gone from getting up on all fours, looking like he was ready to crawl, to laying on the floor, moving nothing more than his eyes. They took him to an after-hours clinic but the doctor there sent them home saying it was likely a virus and he would get better on his own.

But, a mother's gut feeling told Dawn that this was more than a virus. When Elijah woke two days later with what looked like "a severe scratch on his eye," she called the pediatrician. The doctor did a blood test and sent the Carlsons home to wait for the results. Dawn hadn't even reached her house when the nurse called her back.

She needed to come back. Now.

"That was when I knew something was really wrong. That was how I found out," Dawn said.

Elijah was rushed to Iowa City in critical condition. The leukemia cells had already begun infiltrating his spleen and liver. The liver and kidney were shutting down.

He started a yearlong round of chemotherapy treatment just a few days later.

Even if they can get him healthy enough for the transplant, Elijah's fight will be far from over. The 22-month-old will have to spend the next one to two years either in the hospital or living very close to one so he can be monitored. The Carlsons still are fighting with their insurance company to continue Elijah's care in Iowa City. They want to see him moved to one of their approved facilities - the nearest of which is at the University of Minnesota.

This battle for their youngest baby's life has brought about a desire in the Carlson family to do something more. Carlson recently joined two other Cedar Falls residents and about 200 delegates from across the country in Washington, D.C., for the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Livestrong Day.

Now, they are working to get a grass-roots awareness movement rippling through the Cedar Valley as part of the Livestrong Army.

"I felt very strongly about being part of Livestrong. Infant cancer is so rare, it is hard to get a lot of focus and research dollars to go there," Dawn said. "My hope is to bring a face and story to infant cancer … so nobody has to experience the absolute horror that goes along with having a child with cancer."

Jake Schaefer is a 23-year leukemia survivor and local Livestrong Army delegate. He was only 5 when he was diagnosed and, though he is healthy now, Schaefer said the disease still affects him.

The organization still is in its early phases, but Schaefer hopes to organize informational and fundraising events in the coming months to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer research.

"Everyone is affected by cancer," Schaefer said. "It is very rare that someone in their lifetime won't be affected. Fighting this disease on every front is our goal. It's all about taking this horrible disease, living strong and fighting."

For more information about the Livestrong Army, visit www.livestrong.org/army.

Contact Emily Christensen at (319) 291-1520 or emily.christensen@wcfcourier.com.