MANSFIELD, MASS. (WHDH) - A Massachusetts community is rallying around a boy battling cancer.
The Mansfield High School football team had a big show of support Friday night, when 12-year-old Jon Weinstein, who is battling Stage 4 kidney cancer, got the chance to take the field with the team as honorary captain.
“You’ve done more for us than we could ever do for you,” Mansfield High School varsity football coach Michael Redding said. “You’ve been a great role model. Our motto is ‘Never Surrender,’ and we could not pick a better person to represent that motto than you.”
Weinstein called the experience “really amazing.”
This past summer, he underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, and the community stepped up.
His former babysitters, Kayla McEachern and Caroline Parrett, raised close to $20,000 for the family by selling T-shirts and wristbands.
“Jon grew up next to us, and we were his babysitters his whole life and to hear how sick he was, it was kind of hard for us to sit there and not be able to help,” McEachern said.
Parrett agreed, saying, “I was so overwhelmed, and it was more than I ever expected so it was amazing to see.”
Weinstein’s mother, Kim, says the support has been overwhelming.
“I really think that has helped Jon do as well as he’s doing with everything he’s been battling, an absolute savior to us,” she said.
Weinstein’s battle isn’t finished just yet. He still has a few more months of chemotherapy.
But his family and friends know he’ll get there with an entire town cheering him on.
His best friend, Kyle Clark, said, “It’s amazing to see everybody come together and just like help out to make him better.”
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