PCMA New England’s 2025 Charity of Choice is the Nicholas Richard Collins Superhero Foundation.

Nicholas Richard Collins was born June 1, 2019. A lively, healthy little boy with a big smile and even bigger blue eyes. Nicholas was an incredibly active kid; his first word was “ball.” He loved to play superheroes- jumping from couch to couch with his big sister, Amelia. His constant movement and excessive bruises seemed par for the course of an active little boy.

At a routine checkup, his pediatrician noted red spots as well. The red dots, paired with a large amount of bruising, led to the immediate order for blood tests to determine the cause. These red spots would later be identified as petechiae, a common symptom of Leukemia. He was diagnosed with an exceedingly rare form of Non-DS Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (AMKL). This devastating news led the Collins Family to Boston Childrens Hospital for treatment.

Heartbreakingly, he began outpatient treatments to prolong his life, and keep him as comfortable as possible. Nicholas fought valiantly, continuing to be a playful, happy, and silly little boy until he passed away, with his family beside him, on April 16, 2022. He is deeply missed by all who were lucky enough to know him. He is our favorite Superhero.

By supporting The Nicholas Collins Superhero Foundation, you are supporting the doctors, nurses, and researchers focused on finding cures for children diagnosed with AMKL, and other subsets of pediatric leukemia. 100% of proceeds go directly to The Dana Farber Cancer Insititute. Our goal is that Nicholas’s legacy lives on through the impact we can have on families who experience a similar diagnosis.