Are you feeling down lately? Here’s a story that will surely cheer you up.
In the most desperate times, we run to children to find hope and joy. Their simple acts remind us of how we can find light and love at the kindest, smallest gestures, especially when the world seems too bleak.
Mack Porter and Payson Altice tell us of this adorable story.
The toddlers met each other last September 2020 at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Both were diagnosed with different forms of pediatric cancer: Mack with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma or ALCL, while Payson with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Unfortunately, with COVID around, the playroom and family room in the hospital was closed.
According to Traci Altice, Payson’s mom, her daughter was feeling so isolated and was starting to get bored. Meanwhile, Mack’s mom, Dani, saw Payson walking down the hall one day. So, she asked Traci if her son Mack and Payson could take a walk.
Both parents knew that this was a start of a beautiful friendship.
The two toddlers just clicked right away. They shared stories, toys, and their love for Peppa Pig. Their days in the hospital were less lonely because they found comfort in each other’s company.
Luckily, these brave little souls got out of the hospital and have been in remission.
The only sad part was they didn’t get to see each other anymore. They live 30 minutes away from each other, and in those months they were apart, they continued to communicate and be friends.
According to Dani Porter:
“During that time, those two months, they would send little videos back and forth, Facetime, and they just continually asked to see each other,” she told KMBC News.
And who could say no to their children’s request!
Traci and Dani agreed to let the kids see each other. Dani shared how excited Mack was with his visit to Payton’s house. He planned how their play date would go.
Finally, they were reunited last July.
Mack gave Payson some flowers that he, himself, picked. They gave each other a warm hug and danced around the Altice’s home kitchen. Obviously, the two missed each other so much.
Since then, Mack and Payson have spent much time together.
They went on a swim, and they got some huggable dolls, too. They remained close friends as they both battled and won against pediatric cancer.
As Mack’s dad would put it, the two connected in a way only they understood.
“They know what each other are going through. They know the heart where we can all guess, and we can all understand it to a bit, but they know three-year-old pediatric cancer.”
These children indeed taught a lot of us about kindness in such difficult times.
They’re a great reminder of how we should treat each other with kindness and compassion because we never know what someone is going through.
At age three, they’ve accomplished so much in touching other people’s lives.
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