Weston Newsanger, 5-year-old, had a lot to celebrate last month, and he was turning 5-years-old and also rejoicing two years of being cancer-free. When his mom asked him what he wanted for his birthday, though, he decided not to ask for anything for himself. Instead, he asked his mom to get toys for the kids at a local children’s hospital.
“I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and his answer was, ‘I don’t need anything. I want playdough and dinosaurs to give to the children at the hospital,’ his mom, Amy Newsanger, posted on Facebook on Aug. 16, adding, “Weston has such a big heart, and I want to make this a moment he won’t forget.”
The hospital was Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, where he was treated for a soft tissue cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma, beginning in 2016.
In that initial post, Newsanger, recognized the nexus of Weston’s birthday, the second anniversary of his accomplishment of treatment and childhood cancer awareness month.
Within the week, Weston was well on his way of making it a moment he won’t likely forget.
“Weston is so thrilled when he gets a package to add to his pile,” Mom wrote in Aug. 22 post. “So far, we have 135 packs of Play-Doh, two monster trucks, over 60 dinosaurs, and 1 Spiderman. We have also been given monetary donations for him to go pick things out for the hospital. Plus, my cousin is collecting items in Hershey and has a pile of things in addition to what we have here.”
That was just the starting point.
By the time they dropped the donations off on Oct. 1, Weston had collected 1,264 containers of Play-Doh, 1,248 dinosaurs, 71 superheroes, and 16 capes along with other miscellaneous items. Also, a team of pediatric health care professionals with Child Life collected and distributed more than 3,000 containers of Play-Doh.
It was the toys, and Newsangers told WHP, the local CBS station, that created a fun environment for Weston while undergoing brutal chemotherapy treatment.
But, in an interview with CBN News, Weston’s mom credited her son’s healing to more than play clay and superheroes.
“The miracle of prayer is an amazing thing, got us through cancer,” she asserted.
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Thank you Christianheadlines and Lori Arnold for sharing this.
