HARRODSBURG, Ky (WDRB) - A Washington County, Kentucky, boy who stared adversity in the face is winning — at a time it can be especially hard to do so.
Gage Lewis, 11, is now in remission in his battle against leukemia. He was diagnosed nearly 3½ years ago, on the same day his brother Trevor celebrated three years of remission for a brain tumor.
Their mother, Billie Jackson, said it was a tough break.
“At that point you think life is good again, life is normal again, and shortly thereafter another child is diagnosed with cancer and your world just goes spiraling once again,” she said.
Chemotherapy, hospital visits and injections were all Gage knew. However the family's tears of worry became tears of joy when Gage on Monday completed his last chemo treatment.
Doctors and nurses at University of Kentucky's Children's Hospital applauded as he walked down the hall with his mom and rang a bell, a symbol wrapping up treatments as he focuses on remission.
“I was glad that I got to ring the bell,” Gage told WDRB News on Tuesday. “No more needles.”
Jackson said it is hard to describe what hearing the bell felt like.
“It rushed over me like ‘Is this really over?’ combined with boys we’ve spent over 8 years battling cancer with them,” said Jackson.
She posted the bell-ringing video to her Facebook page, and it’s already been shared thousands of times in just 24 hours.
Even though it was a difficult and often painful road, the boys stayed strong and refused to let cancer win, the mother said.
“(They) never uttered a complaint, never dropped a tear for what they had to go through. They are so resilient that it’s mind blowing,” said Jackson.
Gage will continue with check-ups every three months but says he feels great and is looking forward to a summer of fishing and swimming.
Jackson said that even the darkest times come with blessings.
“There are blessings everywhere," she said. "You don’t have to look very far if you just sit still for a while."
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