SAN ANTONIO – Children completing cancer treatment at University Hospital will have a special way to celebrate their journey: ringing a newly installed cancer bell.
Firefighters from the San Antonio Fire Department delivered the new addition Thursday.
The idea for the bell came from a young cancer patient.
“It’s such an important day when a child finishes chemotherapy,” said Mark Webb, University Health System’s CEO of pediatric services. “To celebrate that with a real fire truck bell makes it special. Leave it to Damon to make that happen.”
Damon, 12, battled bone cancer, but it returned months later. Even though he lost his left arm, he did not give up hope and wants to help other kids like him.
"Being a father of four healthy boys, it sends chills down my spine that something like this happened to him,” Chief Charles Hood said. “But he courageously battled through it and has gone to such extremes to support other members of the community that are stricken with this disease."
Hood was joined by Mayor Ivy Taylor and 12 family members of firefighters who lost their lives to cancer.