Doctor made a promise to a boy with cancer. Four years later, he called from 2000 miles away

Some people make promises and keep them, even years later, showing that commitment does not expire with time. When 14-year-old Dylan Mwaniki, a soccer player, was first diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer in May 2022, Dr. Mary Austin, a pediatric surgical oncologist, made a heartfelt promise. Even though Dylan's prognosis was grim, the moment Dr. Austin met him, she thought, "He's beating the odds." She promised Dylan to be at his high school graduation if he made it, right before a difficult procedure. Four years later, she kept her promise. The video was shared on Facebook by Kevin LaBranche, a family friend. The video has 96,000 views, 6,100 likes, and 174 comments. Today reported on the story on May 28, 2026.

'You don’t build relationships like this one very often'

Before Dylan met Dr. Austin, his parents, Luci and Paul Mwaniki, were devastated when doctors gave their son a year to live. However, Dr. Austin saw Dylan in a different light. He was one of those people who would light up a room whenever he entered. She met Dylan while working at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, one of the few hospitals capable of treating renal medullary carcinoma. She treated him for four years, going through chemotherapy, surgeries, and other medical procedures.

Throughout all this, Dr. Austin and Dylan bonded over their shared interests in sports, running, and their link to Kenya. "When you get to know your patients and their families, it increases your joy. You don’t build relationships like this one very often. But when you do, it’s so special," she told TODAY.com.

A promise that 'meant everything'

Dylan was declared cancer-free in September 2024 and has been slowly getting back to his old life — going back to school and playing soccer. On May 17, Dylan graduated from Kansas City Christian School. Keeping her promise, Dr. Austin, who was working at Seattle Children's Hospital, flew from Washington State to Kansas to see Dylan graduate. Luci said, "She was dead tired, but she remembered her promise. There was no way she was missing that graduation."

Dr. Austin had an overnight shift, rearranged her surgical schedule, and hopped on an early-morning flight to see Dylan graduate. He told the news outlet, "It was just pure joy. That hug meant everything." The clip of Dylan's shocked face when Dr. Austin came forward to hug him is making rounds on the internet. He even shared his graduation photos on his Instagram (@dylanmwaniki_).

Cancer treatments

Cancer was once a disease that had very few to no treatment options. Now, the Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Statistics reported that as of January 1, 2025, 18.6 million Americans are cancer survivors. They predict that by 2035, the number of survivors will cross 22 million. Out of all the survivors, 51% were diagnosed in the last 10 years, while 79% of them were 60 years old and above. Dylan is one of those survivors. He was declared cancer-free in September 2024.

Dylan has a bright future ahead and will be studying Computer Engineering at the University of Arkansas. However, before making that decision, he wrote a letter to his "second mom," Dr. Austin, explaining why he decided not to attend the University of Washington. Dr. Austin revealed what he wrote in the letter, "He wanted me to know it wasn’t because of me. That’s just the kind of person he is." As for Dylan's parents, Luci shared that it was their Christian faith and Dr. Austin's support that helped them through one of the most difficult times in their lives.

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