Young cancer survivor reaches out

He survived cancer at an early age, now this Oklahoma teenager is spreading hope to young children with the disease.

Wednesday, February 13th 2008, 8:26 pm

By: News 9


By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

He survived cancer at an early age, now this Oklahoma teenager is spreading the word to young children with the disease.

He wants them to know they're not alone.

"I was so young, I just didn't know what it was and my parents tried to explain it to me," Josh West, childhood cancer survivor said. "And my parents were as truthful as they can with me since I was so young."

At 5 years young, Josh West found out he had Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer of the Lymphatic system, part of the immune system, one of the most common childhood cancers.

"We're not any different from anybody else; we're just as human as you guys are," West said. "There's nothing different about us."

There's nothing that brought Josh down, he still played like other boys his age.

"Baseball, baseball is what kept me through this," West said.

In between play time, he underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment at the Jimmie Everest Cancer Center where he's revisiting today with care packages of sweet treats for kids.

West is seeing the same vision in these children's eyes, and letting them know they're not fighting this battle alone.

"It helps you," West said. "It just gives you a feeling that somebody is there for you that you're not there by yourself."

West is not giving up hope in helping find a cure, and funding for further research in Relay for Life.

"Because God put this in my life to help other people is what I feel like," West said.

Josh has been in remission for 10 years now and he's been very active with Relay for Life for several years.

The Relay for Life is April 25 from 7:00 p.m. to 7 a.m. on April 26.

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