Neighbors convert a van to make it more accessible for young boy battling cancer

When people work together for a good cause, the results are often wondrous. Such acts of kindness also restore our faith in humanity. A few weeks back, Shane, a 7-year-old boy battling cancer, was helped out by his neighbors in a big way. According to WKBW, the boy recently underwent surgery for two brain tumors and needed a vehicle to take him from his home to the doctor for his periodic check-ups. Thankfully, two of his neighbors stepped in to convert a van that was handicap accessible. The story has been shared on YouTube as well.

The brave young boy's grandfather, Guy Norton, revealed how he was still weak from the medical procedure and was unable to stand or walk around. Shane could make do with a walker, but he still had quite a bit of recovery to go through. Norton remarked how his grandson was strong and a fighter. He had been staying at Oishei Children's Hospital for a year, undergoing chemotreatment for his tumors.

One of the men who stepped in to help the boy, Frank DiMaria, was coincidentally trying to find an accessible van for one of his friends. He soon heard about Shane and how he desperately needed a special van to go to the hospital. The universe conspired and George, the owner of a car dealership, got to know about Shane's needs. DiMaria said, "The car dealer helped us out. It was unbelievable. He found out that we were going to buy it. He actually lowered his price; even after he gave me the set price, he lowered it."

George spoke about how he understood the situation that Shane was going through. He further added how he had lost loved ones to cancer and was willing to help cancer patients any way he could. The van was even fitted with an automatic start system that would make it easier to operate. It is truly wonderful to see how collective efforts go a long way to help a child in need. Hope Rises, a non-profit, recently put up a post on Facebook that helped Shane get more Pokemon cards for his collection.

Cancer, while being a deadly disease, need not be the end of life for people. CNN's Sara Sidner shared a powerful message sometime back during her segment, revealing how she had been battling stage 3 breast cancer. The clip has been shared on the media house's YouTube channel. Sidner starts by stating that she had a "personal note" to tell her viewers. The news anchor asks everybody to count the names of eight women that they cared for. She reveals how one of these women statistically had a chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sidner then revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer despite leading a relatively healthy lifestyle. Her family also had no history of the illness. Sidner implores all women to get their mammograms done every year. She highlighted how medical check-ups would help women treat the disease before it got worse. The news anchor concluded by powerfully stating that she continued to love life and that she was grateful for every day that she survived.