Dad Kenny Thomas and two-year-old son Kristian Thomas delighted online viewers when they posted a video of themselves dancing to a song by Lil Mama. The video scored almost 35,000 views, because what they were dancing about was much deeper that you may first expect.
In the caption to the video, dad Kenny wrote “Father Son chemistry, 11 Months Cancer Free!! If we can do it you can do it!! Live Free!! Drop a [heart] for Father Son Vibes!!!”. The adorable duo were not just dancing, they were celebrating the remission of two-year-old Kristian’s cancer, which he has been in the clear of since November 2018.
It’s been a rollercoaster couple of years for little Kristian, not to mention his parents Kenny and Josilyne. When mom Josilyne was pregnant with Kristian, they were told that the chances were high he would be born with Down syndrome, a genetic disorder that is a result of an extra chromosome. Knowing they would love him either way, they welcomed Kristian into the world in July 2016.
His Down syndrome led to a further diagnossis of a rare blood disorder, which also gave doctors early signs he might later develop leukemia. In June 2018, at the age of just one, Kristian was diagnosed with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. He started a course of chemotherapy a month later at the Childnre’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The Thomas family have certainly seen their fair share of hospitals, but dad Kenny decided to take a more positive outlook: “I figure why…be the dad that’s grieving and complaining about his son being in the hospital and his family being in the hospital all day? Why don’t I change things up a little bit and let’s show people how to be positive in this situation?” As a choreographer and owner of a dance studio, Kenny has more than a few moves, which he shared with his son to cheer him up while he was in the hospital.
In a video that has also since gone viral, Kenny made shapes to Ciara’s Level Up, which caught the attention of the singer herself. The 35-year-old can be seen dancing by the side of his son’s bed as he prepares for his first round of chemotherapy treatment in July 2018. “Iām just here to try and give him a little spark and a little boost in moving forward,” he said.
In November 2018, the Thomas family received good news: the chemotherapy had worked and Kristian’s cancer was in remission. 11 months later, Kenny shared the video to his Instagram, celebrating the life he and his son enjoy together, cancer-free. “I’ve been doing these videos and people have been loving them since the first one that I did,” he told PIX 11.
Childhood cancer is a tragedy that no family should go through, and leukemia is the most common, occurring in every one in three childhood cancers. To find out more, visit cancer.org. Next month will mark the one year anniversary of Kristian’s remission, so watch this space for another adorable video.
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