Cord Blood Transplant Recipient Becomes Photography Prodigy

When Spencer Caserio was two-years-old, he was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). For six months, he underwent aggressive chemotherapy, but relapsed shortly after. It wasn’t until he received a cord blood transplant that he was given any hope of survival.

Six years later, Spencer is cancer-free, and living life like a normal nine-year-old – except he has become a photography prodigy.

At seven-years-old, Spencer decided to take up photography as a hobby. Since then, he has won first place in many competitions, including the New Times Photo Contest. His parents say that he demonstrated a knack for photography from the get-go and he would not have been given the opportunity to explore his talent without the cord blood transplant from Duke University.

Last weekend, Spencer’s work was displayed at the Art in the Park in Morro Bay. Hundreds of his award-winning photographs were for sale, all captured using the impressive equipment given to him by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. On the back of each photograph, he shared a story about his battle with leukemia. 10% of his profits were donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.