GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – With a scary mask and a sword in hand, 5-year-old Mason Patton couldn’t hardly wait to leave his hospital room Tuesday afternoon.
The patient at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids was anxiously awaiting his chance to join the Halloween party on the first floor. After all, it was a chance for Mason to just be a kid. He’s already gone through much more than any child should have to.
In July, Mason was diagnosed with leukemia. He has since undergone all sorts of procedures, making weekly visits to the children’s hospital. He’s now in remission, but his mom told 24 Hour News 8 that treatment could last up to three more years.
“It’s been really tough. No kid should go through this, (they) really shouldn’t. It’s really sad,” Peggy Sauro, Mason’s mother, said.
But Tuesday, all that mattered to Mason was enjoying Halloween. Dozens of young patients at the hospital wore costumes, met superheroes and ate candy at the big party.
“He doesn’t even think that he’s sick,” Sauro said Tuesday. “It doesn’t even cross his mind. He has so much fun here.”
Hospital staff have put on the Halloween party for years, giving kids who can’t go out to trick or treat an opportunity to celebrate the holiday. Staff members even make a point to bring the holiday fun to the kids who can’t leave their rooms, like 15-month-old Elijah Norman, who was dressed up to look like a pumpkin.
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