Cole Frederking was a joyful, bright, and determined young man, who passed away at the age of 16 from Wilms’ Tumor, a pediatric kidney cancer. Cole’s family watched their previously vibrant and healthy son bravely battle stage IV kidney cancer with metastasis to his lungs over the course of four years (2020-2024).
In March 2020, as the world began grappling with the onset of Covid-19, schools closed—at the same time, it also happened to be Cole’s 12th birthday. Normalcy was disrupted, and everyone was on edge. Not long after the world came to a standstill, Cole asked about a small abnormal vein in his abdomen. After a few telehealth appointments, it was recommended we see a specialist. Accessing specialist/hospital care for a non-Covid 19 related concern was challenging because of COVID-19 safety measures and general public anxiety. However, Cole was seen in May 2020. The doctor immediately noticed something was out of the ordinary and ordered a CT scan. The CT scan showed he had a cantaloupe-sized tumor in his kidney. We heard the words no parents ever want to hear “your child has cancer.”
We were in absolute shock. He was an athlete; he played soccer and competitive baseball. He had just made the hexathlon team at school and biked over 10 miles each day. He was eating, drinking, and sleeping normally. He looked and acted fine. How could he have cancer? CANCER!
Within two days we were at Children’s Hospital Colorado. He was being told he had cancer and had to have a kidney removed. He would be undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
Over the course of four years, Cole bravely battled cancer. After initial treatment, he went into remission. However, the cancer came back in his lungs as he was starting 8th grade. Over several years, he would be “no-evidence-of-disease” many times, but the cancer always came back in his lungs after short remission cycles. In January 2024, Cole underwent a bone marrow transplant (BMT) as a final attempt to eliminate the cancer from his body. After the BMT, the cancer came back in his lungs. After additional chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments, he lost the battle with cancer and passed away on August 16, 2024, during his junior year of high school.
Ultimately, Cole stayed in the hospital 101 nights, underwent 420 chemotherapy infusions, 69 radiation treatments and 128 blood transfusions… all total 2,063 various tests and procedures.
Who was Cole Frederking?
A naturally curious learner and disciplined, Cole strived for excellence in everything he did. As a Gifted and Talented student and National Honor Society member, he valued learning in all its forms. As a child, he poured his heart into baseball, soccer, running, Boy Scouts, and academics. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2020, he channeled that same dedication into staying optimistic during treatment, excelling in school with a 4.0 GPA, and discovering a new passion as a driven and talented actor with StageFlight Theatre at Mountain Vista High School.
With the same drive he brought to sports, he turned his focus to acting—something he had always enjoyed but hadn’t had the time to pursue. Through StageFight Theatre, he fully embraced this new passion. Acting, theatre, and film became a source of joy and purpose, and the theatre community welcomed him with open arms.
Throughout four years of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, he never complained. Cole simply got up in the morning and made the best of the situation he was handed. Cole loved life. He found joy in even the hardest places. Cole was known for his kindness, intellect, quick-wit, deep thinking, high moral standards, and excellent sense of humor. He taught us all what determination, perseverance, and joyfulness look like.
In the summer of 2024, Cole sought to give back to theatre and his beloved high school. In his honor, we established a foundation that awards scholarships to students who demonstrate the same strength, determination, and academic excellence that he exemplified.
One of his last wishes was to help other children battling cancer. He decided to courageously donate his tumors to science. In doing this, he hoped researchers and scientists will be able to use his tumor to find better therapies and maybe a permanent cure for Wilms’ Tumor.
Although we will never understand why he was chosen for this long and difficult cancer journey, we will do our best to live life the way Cole would have wanted – show up and bring everything you have. We are committed to carrying on the legacies he was building as well as those he will never have the chance to begin or fulfill.
Cole’s journey was marked by unwavering positivity, strength, and hope. His resilience in the face of unimaginable challenges continues to inspire everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
