GILBERT — It was a special Sunday morning for some kids and their families who’ve been through the unimaginable.
An arcade is every kid’s dream, and for the kids who roamed Fat Cats in Gilbert Sunday morning, that place allowed them to be just kids again.
“Just come here to have fun. Try and spend time with family and other people. Just people that have gone through what I've gone through,” said Braydon Felix, a cancer survivor.
What many of those kids went through is something no parent would ever want for their child. 14-year-old Braydon battled a cancer called neuroblastoma when he was just nine years old.
His mom, Lori Young, tells ABC15 he had a large mass in his abdomen area and had aches and pains for a while. After numerous visits to the emergency room and doctors, they couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.
Doctors eventually figured out it was cancer and he went through surgeries, stem cell transplants and radiation treatment.
“I don't know if there are words to express how you go through something like that. You just do it. You're not given the option to take it in. It’s just going. Doing. Hold on tight and give it everything you’ve got,” Young said.
The teen is now three and a half years past his battle with cancer, but Young told ABC15 he’s not in remission just yet. With his cancer, she says, it’s the five-year mark that they can officially say he’s in remission.
“Two and a half years of just absolutely pain. If I could wish for one thing, I would wish for none of this to happen but if it didn't happen, it wouldn't be here where I am today,” Braydon said.
On Sunday, he and approximately 100 kids and their families celebrated their milestones of beating cancer at the arcade, bowling and mini-golf center, all recognizing they’re cancer survivors. It’s a yearly tradition Banner Children’s has put on since 2006.
“We love to celebrate the kids and how far they've come in their journeys and it's just really special to see that,” said Andrea McClimon, a Banner Pediatric social worker.
While not everyone at the event was able to say they’re a survivor, Braydon encourages those who are still fighting to keep going.
“In the beginning, I said to my parents, ‘I don't want to do this anymore,’ and they said to me, ‘You have to fight to the finish.’ And that really meant something to me to keep on going and fight through and live your best life,” Braydon said.
