Celebrating A Champion

Tuesday, 12 March 2019 12:43

Ingersoll's Joey Murray was chosen to represent the Children's Health Foundation as the 2019 Children's Miracle Network Champion Child.

WOODSTOCK - One boy is being celebrated as a champion today.

Ingersoll's Joey Murray was chosen to represent the Children's Health Foundation as the 2019 Children's Miracle Network Champion Child.

The nine year-old went through treatment for Leukemia for three and a half years.

Now cancer free, he celebrated at Wal-Mart today with his family, including his two brothers and his dad Scott. Scott says they want to use this experience to support other families as well.

"Having him come through it and actually battle and defeat cancer and kick its butt was huge obviously, and then now having the opportunity to give back to the Children's Health Foundation. We've always been a family that's looking to give back and rally around other families, so it's been really kind of surreal and a weird experience for us to have so many people to rally around us. So now we're almost getting back to normal, being able to rally around other families and use this to propel other families that are going to have walk through the same journey that we did."

Joey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at just four years-old. Just a few weeks into his treatment, his mother suddenly passed away. For three and half years, Joey underwent tough treatment sessions at the Children's Hospital London Health Sciences Centre.

Manager of Community Relations and Children's Miracle Network Program Director for the Children's Health Foundation, Jennifer Baxter says they wanted to recognize Joey as this year's Champion Child for overcoming everything he's endured.

"He was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was four years-old and endured all the treatment that he encountered, so he's gone through a lot in his little life. He's now nine, and so we want to be able to recognize all his efforts and all his hard work and his survival, and his fighting, by presenting him as the Champion Child."

Joey was welcomed into Wal-Mart by employees and a variety of members in the community. He gave a speech to the crowd, and he was given a $500 shopping spree from Wal-Mart, plus an honorary key to the store as well.

His dad Scott says he hopes they can all look back on today and remember it fondly.

"I think, for all three of them really, I just hope that they realize just how incredible they are and how much they've done to inspire other kids, other families and other adults. To walk through the duel journey that we've had, between facing cancer and losing my wife, and yet having all three of these boys stand together, rally together and fight together. So I hope in ten years they're the best of friends and they can look back on this and go 'you know what, we did this together.'"

Joey and his family will fly to Orlando, Florida on March 17th for Children's Hospital Week, presented by Wal-Mart and The Brick. They'll join other Champion Children from across North America to highlight the vital work of children's hospitals.