NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Staying positive is the key to really anything in life.
We've all had moments when we haven't felt our best. When those times get tough, it's easy to sit down and let it consume you. 'Baby' Shawn Kennedy doesn't let any hardships define him. In fact, he's always got a smile on his face when he's with his friends on and off the field.
"I have a lot of fun because we do a lot of running and you get to talk to your friends, Kennedy said.
As a student at Cataract Elementary in Niagara Falls, Baby Shawn has always been on and around the football field, but not as a player. When Shawn was four, he was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, which is a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.
Shawn and his mom, Nicole Vathy, go to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN for treatment and testing. They have since his initial diagnosis. From his diagnosis, all the way to now, Vathy knew he always had a drive to play sports.
"He never played with normal toys. It was always basketball, football, or other sports balls," Vathy said.
Now, it's been seven years since Baby Shawn's diagnosis. He's beating the odds every single day, and is proving to be an example for those around him at Cataract. Due to the uniqueness of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, the cancer is inoperable due to its proximity to the stem of the brain.
Luckily, Shawn's tumor hasn't grown, but it could come back. Vathy's decision to let her son play football worried her at first, but ultimately, she just wants her son to be happy and do what he's loved since birth.
"I was a little nervous because it is a full contact sport, but my decision was for him to be a kid. I don't want anything to limit him and the doctor said the choice was up to me," Vathy said.
