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After several scary months, Easton Beatch is back doing what he loves most with one of his best friends — kicking around a soccer ball, laughing and dramatically throwing themselves to the ground.
“Scoring goals and running,” Beatch said when asked about his favourite part of soccer. “I like to be active. I liked going back to soccer. I missed it.”
In June, the 10-year-old was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer.
The excitement of summer break quickly gave way to two successful surgeries to remove a tumor and a move to Florida for a special type of radiation called proton therapy.
Coincidentally, his oncologist in Jacksonville beat Medulloblastoma as a child.
“From the second he was in hospital and we got this diagnosis, we were getting homemade cards, videos from his friends, gift baskets of things you don’t know you need in the hospital like comfortable blankets, a lot of Pokemon to pass the hours,” said Beatch’s mom, Amanda Moppett-Beatch. “It was so important to us during that really tough time.”
Beatch said those videos were one of the only things that kept him happy through it all.
Easton Beatch and Bennett Love playing soccer.
Global News
Bennett Love, the other boy jousting for the soccer ball, was often the one sending those videos and calling for a FaceTime.
“I was scared for him and nervous for him,” Love said. “But he’s a really good fighter and I knew he would be able to go through it.”
“Radiation actually went okay for him, so he’s really built up some strength,” Moppett-Beatch said. “I’m so happy to say he’s back training with the soccer group here at Tanbridge (Academy) and he’s back on the field and giving his coach a run for his money and just back in the swing of things.”
While Easton is feeling stronger, the journey isn’t over quite yet.
That’s why his mom teamed up with local company Volleyball Stuff and Tanbridge Academy to create “Team Easton” T-shirts and sweaters to show support.
In just five days, the initiative raised $5,000.
“I didn’t know that many people would get it!” Beatch exclaimed.
The money will support Kids Cancer Care, a charity supporting hundreds of children and their families every year, including Beatch’s.
“For Easton, this will come in the form of a tutor throughout the year when he’s away from school,” Moppett-Beatch added. “They have amazing summer camps there. We’re heading to a family camp this weekend, actually, called Camp Kindle. Then there’s the meal support, little things like hospital parking passes.”
Moppett-Beatch shared her son’s story with the kids of Tanbridge while they were learning about Terry Fox and National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
They’d end up raising another $3,000 for the Marathon of Hope.
“For such a small school, we realized this is our village and everything that Tanbridge stands for,” Moppett-Beatch said. “For that, my family will forever be grateful.”
Beatch will have to leave school next week to begin six months of chemotherapy — but knows he has a whole school family behind him.
On his last day of class, everyone will be wearing their Team Easton gear for the first time as they present Kids Cancer Care with a $5,000 cheque.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.