Parents share story of 5-year-old fighting cancer at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson
Hunter Sanchez was diagnosed with cancer October 2023 after doctors found a brain tumor earlier in the year. He's been getting chemotherapy treatment since January 2024.
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September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
As children around the world battle the disease, News 12 met with a 5-year-old fighting at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson.
Hunter Sanchez was diagnosed with cancer October 2023 after doctors found a brain tumor earlier in the year. He's been getting chemotherapy treatment since January 2024.
"One day I woke up a little bit late and he was walking to me. And I was like 'You can walk again?' It was a good day," said Israel Sanchez, Hunter's dad.
Those are the days doctors, parents, countless children and Hunter fight for. His mom, Domonique Martinez, recalls her son's journey so far.
"All of sudden, his right hand clenched and they didn't know why it was clenching," said Martinez. "He stopped walking, he stopped talking, everything stopped. And then in October he was diagnosed with cancer."
This is the first year his parents are honoring his fight during Childhood Cancer Awareness month.
"People aren't always comfortable talking about their situation," said Martinez. "And they shouldn't be alone. They should feel like they have a support system and a community that's going to empower them to lift their child through this."
"These kids are just amazing. They come in here every day. They go through brutal treatments," said Bill Copeck, RN, nurse manager. "Adults can take a good lesson from the kids out there. They just keep on moving."
Hunter's parents say they couldn't have kept on moving without the support from the hospital and Tom Coughlin Jay Fund. The nonprofit provides emotional and financial assistance, including transportation, groceries, and shelter.
"Life is hard for every body right now. The cost of living is astronomical. The cost of food is high. The cost of gas and transportation and gas prices are outrageous. Now imagine you get a cancer diagnosis," Mary Jane Pulzello, managing director, Tom Coughlin Jay Fund.
Pulzello said fighting for these children is what gets her out of bed every morning.
"We don't know what we would do without them. Either the hospital or the foundation," said Sanchez.
News 12's sister company, Optimum also provides support to these families by helping them with their internet and cable fees.
To learn more about the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, click here.
