STERLING, N.Y. (WKBW — A young boy from upstate New York ended his excruciating summer-long chemotherapy treatments, celebrated his last session, in Bills Mafia fashion!
Eleven-year-old Joshua "Joshy" Hutchinson can be seen in a video sent to 7 Eyewitness News by his grandmother, Karen Hutchinsoon.
On Tuesday, the boy could be seen grabbing a Buffalo Bills football helmet, walked over to a mock table and body-slammed into it, like Bills fans notoriously do. "He said, 'I coming out and I'm going through a table', like he's seen that I don't know Bills Mafia or something, I said okay," Karen Hutchinson told 7 Eyewitness News. "I think it was like seeing him born again. It was just unbelievable.
"She recalled for the last three months, the twinkle in grandson's eyes had disappeared, as he had been diagnosed with stage II Hodgkin's lymphoma, in June. It is a malignant cancer cell that forms in the lymph system.
"It was a lump on his neck and it grew in before it grew out, so that's why it was stage II because it grew in first and then before we realized it started growing out," Karen said.
His father, Joshua Hutchinson, recalled discovering the lump.
Joshua Hutchinson said, "We were actually at my boss' house for a kids get-together, and they had one of the big water slides and all the kids were going down head first since all the kids were going down feet first. He came over to us and he was in no pain but his neck was real swollen. No pain to touch, no nothing, so we let it go over the weekend."
"The family, who resides in Sterling, New York was then sent to Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, in Syracuse, after Joshy's pediatrician said his test results looked troubling.
Immediately, his bi-weekly chemo sessions began, undergoing up to three painful sessions a week.
"A lot of long nights, long days," Joshua said, as he fought back tears via Zoom.
The pain extended throughout the family, and Joshy's father was heartbroken having to watch as his oldest son was at war with his own body."
He's been in and out of the hospital quite a bit because he had a little bit of a reaction to some of the chemo, especially when it was the weak of the double doses," Karen explained. "Every time he went to chemo, he had to wear his Josh Allen jersey.
"Ultimately, on Tuesday, August 31, Joshy had finished his last chemotherapy session. It came at a coincidental time as September 1 marks the first day of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year, but this little warrior showed this unpredictable disease that who truly reigned supreme.
Joshy explained with a huge grin, "I was happy that we were done with it."
He even recruited his dad as a new member of the Bills Mafia, subsequently leaving the Miami Dolphins fan base."
It was just something I liked as a kid so I continued to like them, but now since the Bills Mafia is so supportive of him, that's my team," Joshua explained.
After all of the balloons, confetti and celebratory events, Joshy said there is one thing young kids should remember, if they too, are at war with their body: "Just keep fightin' and you'll get through it eventually."
The family said Joshy's cancer is in remission and will be taking the necessary steps for this next phase.
"He's in remission now and will go back every three months, and then he'll go every six months just to keep checking on it. They said the best chance for it to come back would be in the first year, so if we can get passed that we can be golden," Joshua said.
Joshy also his doctor gave him the green light to start school in person, full-time. His first day of 6th grade begins next week.
Since 7 Eyewitness News shared this story on social media, it has received the attention of Josh Allen.
This is so awesome! https://t.co/sArXBHEPaI
— Josh Allen (@JoshAllenQB) September 2, 2021
