My name Is Kaleb and I was diagnosed with NF1 at the early age of 10 months old. When I was born my parents noticed a few spots on my body but assumed they were just birth marks. They also noticed that my left leg was bowed but the doctors continued to tell them it would straighten out when I started walking.

Well, I started walking at 10 months and my leg was still bowed which made it a little difficult to keep my balance. They took me back to the doctor and and the doctor decided she would refer us to Scottish Rite Hospital for a bowed leg. The doctor had seen the spots on my skin at one of my early check ups but told my parents they were café-au-lait spots and to just keep an eye on them.

My parents took me to Scottish Rite Hospital thinking they would just want to put a brace on my leg to help it straighten out, but left with the news that their 10-month-old son had a genetic disorder. At first my parents were in shock and didn't say a whole lot until they started researching the disorder to discover there is no cure for NF.

I have to go to Scottish Rite Hospital every year to see my orthopedic doctor and get an X-ray of my leg to make sure it isn't getting worse. I also go there every 2 years to have a MRI done to make sure there aren't any tumors growing. So far everything is good, I just have numerous café-au-lait spots all over my body and my leg is still bowed. They had told my parents that with my leg being severly bowed I may not ever get to play sports. I am now 5 years old and I play football for The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club in my hometown and I love it. I am in Kindergarten at the school my mom went to and I enjoy everyday of it.

My whole family does a fundraiser every year to help raise money for research to hopefully one day find a cure for NF. Please help us by donating to the Children's Tumor Foundation as we continue to help solve the NF puzzle.