When 14-year-old Ethan discovered a hard lump on his head, no one knew what to make of it. He couldn’t remember bumping his head, and his blood work, x-ray, CT scan, and ultrasound showed nothing wrong. Then a biopsy found it: lymphoma.

That was back in March 2017. Since then, here is what Ethan has had to endure:

2 surgeries

3 biopsies

3 MRIs

3 echocardiograms

4 ultrasounds

4 bone marrow biopsies

6 CT scans

8 blood transfusions

23 spinal taps

48 nights in the hospital

79 chemo infusions

74 chemo shots

More than 200 blood draws

Thousands of chemo pills (currently takes 264 pills a month)

Wow! If anyone needed a break from it all, it was Ethan! Fortunately for him, he met Team Summer kid Kyle at a cancer event, and they hit it off right away. Kindred spirits, Ethan’s mom says. The boys do have a lot in common. They are both big swimmers, for example. However, swimming was out for Ethan, and he missed it a lot. But Kyle had a better idea!

Maybe Ethan couldn’t swim, but he could still FLY! Kyle surprised Ethan with an afternoon at iFly, an indoor skydiving simulation. You get the experience of what it’s like to jump out of a plane and fly. How cool is that??

First, the boys suited up!

All systems go!

Ethan went first! YES, he’s flying!!

Check this out!

SO awesome! Then Kyle got a chance!

Both boys had a blast! Ethan’s mom said the weight that the boys carry around on their shoulders was lifted that day. For an afternoon, they were both normal kids, spending time with a friend, having fun! Excellent Team Summer gift, Kyle! And how great to have a friend who truly gets it.

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