January 14, 2025 — At Frey Elementary School, you'd never be able to tell that one 4th grader is battling something none of his classmates can relate to, but that’s the reality for Beau Davis.
When 2nd grade started back in 2023, Beau didn't feel well, which is when his mom, Tina, took him to the doctor, thinking he had a respiratory illness or pneumonia. Instead, doctors discovered a tumor in his chest and diagnosed Beau with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
"It's been a little hard and tough, having to go to the hospital a lot," revealed Beau.
Following his diagnosis, the young Frey student spent the next month in the hospital undergoing intense chemotherapy and was unable to return to school for the entire 2nd grade school year. That didn't mean Beau stopped learning. Instead, the Davis family chose to move forward with Cobb School's homebound service, which allowed Beau to continue learning while receiving the proper care and rest he needed.
Beau was able to return to the classroom in person for 3rd grade and is continuing to shine with his schoolwork, and is now more than halfway through his 4th grade year.
"You would never know anything happened to Beau unless he told you. He walks in with a smile, he's confident, he gets along with his classmates at recess," shared Frey Principal Laura Fiedler.
When Beau returned to the classroom, the Davis family specifically requested that Mrs. Marianne Massey teach him.
Massey, who has overcome a cancer diagnosis herself, has been able to relate to what Beau is going through and help encourage him on days following chemotherapy, when he may not feel his best.
"Beau knows I've gone through cancer and beat it, so he inspires me, and we also have conversations about the excitement of chemotherapy being done and having ports out and those things that build a special kind of community," said Massey.
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Those daily conversations range from sports to specific details of cancer treatment that Beau and Massey both understand, and that connection has helped Beau feel more comfortable and supported at school.
"I feel safe and secure because I know I'm not the only person in the room that's done it," said Beau.
The Frey and the broader Cobb community have continued to rally around the Davis family over the past few years by stopping by their home on days when Beau was receiving treatment and dropping off letters, snacks, and other things to cheer him up.
"He is so brave. I know there's adults that probably couldn't handle what he's been through, and it's so great to see him doing so well," said Beau's mom, Tina Davis.
While Beau continues his learning journey at Frey, the fourth grader is also continuing to undergo chemotherapy once a month as doctors make sure that his cancer is gone.
In January 2027, Beau plans to complete his monthly treatments and will be able to return to playing football, a sport he has deeply missed during his treatment.
