Family whose son battled cancer helping to bring joy to those who are fighting the same battle

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - The Children's Cancer Network has been helping children and their families get through some of the toughest times for years.

For this holiday season, the organization adopted 60 families this year to do all of their Christmas shopping, wrapping and delivering free of charge.

One family, the Shockleys, remembered the time they received some devastating news.

"My first thought was I'm going to lose my son, and all of a sudden, they said it was cancerous," said Charles Shockley. He and Michelle Shockley didn't know if their son, Grayson, would make it to his next Christmas.

Now, however, the healthy family of four wants to serve as a beacon of hope for other families battling childhood cancer.

"Everybody who's put in for us, we try to give back to them and then some," said Charles. "Go out and do the same."

Charles said Grayson, now 14, has a huge heart and is filled with optimism, a quality that proved very useful when he was in chemotherapy.

Grayson became a frequent visitor to other patients in the hospital, to remind them to hang in there.

"I was just kind of, like, always happy," said Grayson. "I was just like walking around, wanting to talk to other people."

That positive attitude was a light, in a time of darkness.

"He was like, 'dad, don't worry about it,'" said Charles. "He was very strong."

With a clean bill of health, Grayson said it's important that their family continue to help others who are going though a tough time, not only wrap and deliver presents to families who are battling childhood cancer, but also be a gift of hope.

Children's Cancer Network
https://www.childrenscancernetwork.org/