“It’s OK momma, Colie’s here,” two-year-old Cole Magnus told his mother, Brittany Magnus, as she wept in the hospital room, watching doctors insert IVs into her little boy’s body.

It was Tuesday, April 6, when Cole was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but Brittany had been worried about her son since early February. She noticed Cole’s lymph nodes were swollen and brought him to the doctor immediately, but every test Cole received came back normal, Brittany said.

Chest X-rays, ultrasounds, blood work and CT scans revealed no cause for concern, but Brittany’s intuition told her to keep pushing for her son, something Brad Magnus, Cole’s father and Brittany’s husband, said he is grateful for.

“Without my wife advocating for Cole so strongly like she did, I don’t know when he would have been diagnosed,” Brad said. “I’m forever grateful to her for that.”

Both Brittany and Brad said Cole’s overwhelming sweetness is what makes him special, and as the young boy begins chemotherapy at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, they can see parts of his personality changing as a result of the treatment.

Before Cole’s battle with cancer began, Brittany said he loved to spend time with his big brother Hudson, who is 5 years old. She said the two boys have a bond so great that even though young Hudson doesn’t quite understand what his brother is going through, he is still trying to comfort and take care of Cole.

“The thing a lot of parents say is ‘is my child going to come back to me,’ and I understand that now,” Brittany said. “[Cole] doesn’t talk or sing anymore, and he doesn’t want to play really, and all Hudson knows is that his brother is sick.”

The compassion between the two is strong though, Brittany said, and Hudson had fed Cole yogurt that morning, rubbing Cole’s head and saying, “I love you brother.”

While the battle is a hard one, Brittany and Brad, who are Downers Grove residents, said they are overwhelmed by the support they are receiving through a GoFundMe set up by Brittany’s friends. The fundraiser generated $30,945 of its $100,000 goal, and Brittany said the family hopes to use the money for medical expenses and the loss of income they will suffer as a result of her not being able to work.

Cole will endure nine months of intensive chemotherapy, followed by aftercare treatment that will make his journey a two-year long one, Brittany said.

“We’re blown away by the generosity of so many people,” Brittany said. “People say when something like this happens you feel the love, and it’s so true. It’s really made us not feel so alone.”

Despite Brittany being a self-proclaimed hypochondriac, she said she is happy she pushed her son’s medical care forward. And Brad said while doctor’s did everything they could to follow protocol, they saw nothing for concern, teaching him the importance of trusting your gut.

“Every parent says it, but Cole is a special kid, and I truly believe that because man, if you saw the way this kid is, he’s just so sweet,” Brad said. “If you’re a mother or father, trust your gut.”