LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — Two Pasco County parents are remembering their 10-year-old son and bringing awareness to pediatric cancer.
Leslie Fox and her husband, Michael, said their son died from leukemia in February.
Mason was diagnosed in April 2023 and fought for ten months. Leslie said her son caught a fungal infection before his death.
"He fought hard and he was in remission within a month. It's a 2.5 year treatment plan and still doing weekly treatments all the way up until he passed away," said Leslie.
He was the oldest sibling and had three brothers. He loved the Tampa Bay Lightning and playing hockey. When cancer stole his energy, his mother said he started cooking.
He loved playing with LEGO sets and celebrating the holidays.
"Always wanting to help and spread awareness as much as he could even during his own fight. At the hospital, he'd bring toys, candy that he bought himself, walk around the floor and hand it out to kids," said Leslie.
Leslie and Michael are honoring their son and sent a pair of shoes in memory of Mason to Washington, DC.
"We tried to pick up a shoe that represented him. Well like I said he loved hockey and played since he was 5 and he loved the Lightning and so we picked out a pair that were black with blue lightning bolts," said Leslie.
CureFest for Childhood Cancer is an event that runs from September 20th through the 22nd in Washington, DC.
Organizations are joining the effort to raise awareness about funding for pediatric cancer. Families are pushing Congress for increased federal funding for pediatric cancer to more than the 4% currently allocated.
A memorial outside the Washington Monument will include 1,800 pairs of empty shoes to represent the children who die every year from pediatric cancer.
"They put out all the shoes. 1,800 pairs of shoes to represent 1,800 children that die every year in the United States from cancer. And hopefully, the hope is that our lawmakers and senators and representatives as they're out there this weekend may pass by and see that and maybe have an impact on them to understand our children deserve more than just the scant 4% of federal funding that they get for childhood cancer," said Michael.
The Fox family also started the Smile Like Mason Fox Foundation. Recently, they collected more than 1,000 toys and passed them out to children in the hospital.
"We just want to carry on his legacy and raise awareness and funds and help other foundations and kids fighting," said Leslie.
Mason's family said he cared deeply for the children fighting cancer.
In November, the Tampa Bay Lightning honored him during their "Hockey Beats Cancer" night.
"We gave him a sign and he immediately got his marker and wrote, I fight for all cancer patients, so he was just a voice for everybody. He wanted everybody to get through this," said Michael.
“You threw my son under the bus. You didn't take care of him.”
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