14-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Inspires Golf Fundraiser

Magnus Kalins would rather discuss his Wednesday golf games with his uncle than talk about the aggressive leukemia that nearly killed him when he was 3 years old. These days, the 14-year-old eighth grader cares more about hitting birdies and watching the golf ball soar.

That love of golf now fuels something bigger. On April 26, the Birdies for Breakthroughs tournament at Olivas Links in Ventura will raise money for pediatric cancer research, all inspired by Magnus and organized by his mother through the nonprofit fundraising group Unravel.

When Magnus was just 2, his grandfather noticed large bruises on his legs. Blood tests revealed juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, a rare and aggressive blood cancer that gave the toddler only a 50-50 chance of survival.

The only treatment was a bone marrow transplant. Family members, friends, and volunteers across the country were tested as potential donors, but none matched.

The search expanded internationally, reaching Latvia where Magnus' great-grandparents had immigrated from. A 25-year-old man in Poland donated his stem cells in December 2014, and the transplant worked.

But the journey wasn't over. Months after the transplant, chemotherapy damage to his intestines led to a severe infection. Magnus went into septic shock at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and his heart stopped.

Medical teams performed CPR four times before reviving him. Today, that little boy who coded in the ICU plays tennis twice a week, sells popcorn to classmates, and executes scooter tricks at his apartment complex.

Sunny's Take

Magnus usually leaves the room when cancer conversations start. He just wants to be a normal teenager who plays "Team Fortress 2" with friends and debates American history.

But he does have something to say to his unknown donor. "I would like to say 'thank you. Thank you for this life,'" Magnus shared, his usual reluctance fading for a moment. "I wouldn't be here."

His uncle Vince describes him as "an old soul" who understands responsibility and duty. Even in the hospital as a toddler, his parents called him their "little old man."

Now Magnus channels that maturity into living fully in the present. He golfs with his uncle every Wednesday at a small public course in Saticoy, playing as a team and earning fish tacos from Chipotle when they score a birdie.

The tournament he inspired will help fund research so other kids can have the same chance at a normal life, filled with golf games, fish tacos, and the simple joy of watching a ball fly through the air.