Colton
When doctors told Hope that every bone in her baby son Colton’s body was broken, she could barely process the news. Soon after, they delivered another devastating reality - he would need a bone marrow transplant just to survive.
We felt very broken... I just wanted to curl up in a ball."
Colton is one of the 2026 faces of Jeans for Genes - the iconic fundraising day that supports research at Children’s Medical Research Institute.
When Colton was born, Hope soon noticed that he wasn’t making eye contact or following movement around the room. The family were told his vision may soon develop but at two months old Colton developed spots on his skin, and Hope rushed him to emergency.
“The whole way there, I was just crying, thinking that something was wrong," Hope said.
“They took blood tests and said his platelets were causing bruising. I Googled it and the first thing that comes up was leukaemia. So obviously we were very scared, but we just had to roll with the punches and take it one minute at a time."
There were more shocks to come when x-rays revealed every bone in Colton’s tiny body had some form of break.
He was not in any pain at all that we knew of, so it just didn't make sense. But they showed us the x-ray and every single bone in his body looked like it had fragments coming off."
Genetic testing revealed Colton had a rare genetic condition called osteopetrosis (also known as ‘marble bone disease’) - a genetic condition where bones are overly dense and brittle. Colton needed an immediate bone marrow transplant to survive.
During the transplant process Colton was in and out of intensive care many times. Hope said it wasn’t until close to a year later that he recovered.
Today Colton is a happy little boy - but he cannot see or talk and is still learning to walk.
“He is the happiest, sweetest little boy. After everything he's gone through, he's very resilient for how old he is."
Hope did a large Jeans for Genes fundraiser last year to give back to research.
“I was drawn to Children’s Medical Research Institute and Jeans for Genes to become an advocate.
I don't want parents to go through what we've gone through. I want to help. I never thought it would happen to me, and I still can't believe it happened.
“I think it's important for people to support research because Colton had a bone marrow transplant, but I hope for a better cure for children in the future because watching him go through that was the worst thing I've ever seen. And if there is possibly a chance for a cure that's easier then I think that supporting genetic research is very important."
Jeans for Genes is one of Australia’s longest-running charity days and this year it will be held on Thursday 6 August.
Sign up now to fundraise your own way. You can Bake it Blue with a cake stall, get active by walking, running, or skipping or simply wear jeans - just like millions of Australians have done for more than 30 years.