After spending two years growing his hair long enough to be donated to be made into a wig, a seven-year-old boy was able to help patients receiving treatment for cancer. A few weeks after making his donation, Vinny Desautels found out that he was going to need some help himself.
Vinny got his first mohawk just before his second birthday. By kindergarten he used temporary gel to change the color of his hair from its natural blonde to a shocking blue. At age five he decided to make a difference by growing it out to help children battling cancer.
The elementary school student chopped off 13 inches of hair in the hopes of helping kids who were fighting cancer.
"I want to help people so they don't have to go to the doctors to fight cancer," he said.
He was happy in that moment, asking for nothing in return.
In spite of being picked on, that didn't change his course.
"During that time he was mistaken for a girl many times, but Vinny took it like a champ and was like, 'Nah, I'm a boy," Vinny's dad, Jason Desautels, said.
In March, Vinny's mother, Amanda Azevedo who is currently six months pregnant, praised her son for the sweet gesture he made.
"I am so proud to call this little man my son," she wrote. "He has been growing out his hair for the past 2 years and I had the privilege of being the one to cut it for him. He's been teased and mistaken for a girl several times but he stuck with it because he knew it was for a good cause. Vincent, I love you to the moon and back. You are the most selfless 7-year-old I have ever known."
But life can take a cruel turn sometimes.
One day Vinny came home from school complaining about pain in his knee. While he was getting ready for his shower his parents noticed a significant lump on the right hip of the second grader. After taking him to the emergency room they identified the growth to be on his lliac bone.
The next day, he had an eye doctors appointment for a swollen eye that they believed was a result of allergies, but had been progressively getting worse over the last month.
Doctors then identified another malignant mass on the eye that appears to be aggressive.
Vinny has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage four cancer.
"So, basically what they found is that he has a significant growth on his hip and in the bone around the eye and behind the nose and on the cheek on the right side," Jason, who works as a combat veteran said.
Vinny is facing an aggressive form of Ewing's sarcoma- a type of bone cancer. Diagnosed in about 200 children and young adults, they're looking at a 50-50 chance of working.
The second-grader has not given up on school while he is going through his treatment to fight the disease. Vinny's teacher visited the family's home a few times of work to make sure he gets the work he needs to finish the school year.
"Our little man was able to complete the 2nd grade and will officially be a 3rd grader. As exciting as this may seem for us, it is heartbreaking to Vinny," a Facebook post read. "Yes, he's happy to be able to go into the 3rd grade but the harsh reality is that he isn't there to celebrate the last day with his classmates and teacher. He missed the end of the year party and because the longevity of his treatment, he won't be there the first day of 3rd grade to meet his teacher and new classmates."
"You can't just be a bum," his father said. "Life goes on. (Vinny) is going to go to third grade. We want him to be a productive member of society someday, and if we pause, he won't be."
At the time of him completing grade 2, Vinny has another six months to a year of chemotherapy ahead of him to try and shrink the tumors.
Vinny also got to spend some quality time with his family as he was in hospital getting treatment, which included visits with his unborn brother.
In August 2016, Amanda gave birth to William.
Last month, Vinny got to celebrate his ninth birthday, making a wish and blowing out his candle.
"We're sitting here saying we'll be the ones to lift him up, but I think it's going to be the other way around sometimes," his mom said.
Keep on fighting little man! Your kindness and bravery is contagious!
Source: Today / Fox / Sacramento Bee