Mahomet teen battling cancer after knee pain led to diagnosis

Yahoo

21-04-2025

MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — The Robbins household's usual discussions of Fortnite and Battlefield have been overshadowed by something else in the last month: cancer.
13-year-old Devin got the news while on spring break from school. Minor knee pain landed him at urgent care where doctors said he needed an MRI.
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'I initially was like, you slept on it wrong,' Devin's dad, Ryan Robbins, said. 'Maybe you twisted it going up the stairs at school.'
From there, Devin and Ryan traveled to Chicago for a biopsy where Devin was diagnosed with a type of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma.
'It's been rough,' Ryan said.
The news came on March 19. Now, a little over a month later, their lives have been forever changed.
'I mostly put it out of my mind,' Devin said. '[I] try not to think about it because I am most likely going to beat it.'
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The seventh grader is recovering from his second round of chemo. Doctors say he has 27 more weeks to go.
In just a few weeks, Devin and Ryan have driven hundreds of miles to and from appointments in Chicago. Both of them have shaved their heads in the short period of time.
'We normally don't have any medical issues in the family, so this coming out of left field was pretty shocking,' Ryan said.
In the midst of physical pain and exhaustion, Devin said the support of family and friends is keeping him going. He said, along with his dad, one of his friends has shaved his head as well.
Cards from teachers and countless classmates line the family's coffee table.
'You can fight this — it's hard but you got this,' one of the notes reads.
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Devin's positivity is also helping the rest of his family as they navigate this new chapter.
'He's definitely taking it well for his age,' Ryan said.
Devin said he's feeling pretty good all things considered. He said overall pain has gone down ever since his first round of chemo, and is hopeful that continues.
You can support Devin's journey here.
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