CANTON, Ga. — After battling cancer for a portion of his young life, a Canton boy is celebrating his last day of chemotherapy Thursday night.
Hyrum Harris let freedom ring at the Hickory Flat Chick-Fil-A in Canton, celebrating the end of his chemotherapy treatment to the sound of a cowbell. The restaurant rang in applause for Hyrum, cheering along to the happy news alongside with him.
Chick-Fil-A is a Harris family staple as their waffle fries were often Hyrum's choice of comfort food while undergoing treatment, his family said.
The five-year-old, who was born with Down syndrome, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2019. For two years Hyrum underwent treatment that seriously impacted the function of his liver. Despite all of this, Hyrum was taken off chemo a year early, his mother April Harris said.
The unexpected news left Hyrum's mother in a time crunch to figure out how to celebrate the milestone in her young son's life. The mother of seven reached out to the community for help and the response has been overwhelming, she said.
One neighbor helped organize a sign to surprise.
Cardboard cutouts of stars and balloons decorated Hyrum's yard on Jan. 1, reading "Last Day of Chemo." His favorite Toy Story characters were standing alongside the sign, the cutouts welcoming the five-year-old after his final treatment.
The community toasted to his final treatment with fun and pizza that day.
His mother said the celebrations were a heartfelt end to Hyrum's cancer journey. She has been documenting Hyrum's diagnosis over the years, posting pictures of his journey on her online fundraise #HopeforHyrum.
"He is such a joy, such a light and a great example of how to endure hard things," she wrote in her latest entry.
Though Hyrum's chapter has come to an end, his family is left with medical bills and the hope to help others navigate a tough diagnosis. They ask those who are wishing to help contribute via donation.