GILBERT, Ariz. — For 7-year-old Connor Shaw, the last three years have been a journey that adults wouldn't want to go through.
Connor is a survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In August 2020, at 4 years old, Connor was admitted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital after complaining of severe leg pain and was subsequently diagnosed with cancer.
Over the course of the last three years, Connor was in active treatment for over 830 days and experienced more than 85 blood draws, 19 lumbar punctures, 19 medications including daily chemotherapy, and many more medical procedures.
But last November, Connor got to ring the bell after completing his treatment and now, he is in remission.
To celebrate Connor beating cancer, the Children's Cancer Network invited the Shaw family out to Williams Field High School's football game against Highland on Oct. 13 where he got to run out on the field with the team and was an honorary captain for the Black Hawks.
Connor's parents said seeing Connor on the field with the high school football players was something they would never forget.
“It’s pretty surreal," Connor's dad, David Shaw said. "Just ten minutes ago, seeing some players just throwing the ball with him and saying, ‘Oh! He’s got a pretty good spiral!’ It’s surreal, yeah. It’s a good moment.”
These days he is an active little boy attending school and playing with friends. Connor even started playing flag football in September.
"He’s a huge football fan and he’s just started playing flag football, so now this is an exciting way for him to celebrate that journey ending for him and just getting back to his normal life," Connor's mother, Lindsey Shaw said. "Just being able to do everything that you want your kids to do when they’re going through this (and) just be a normal kid again.”
Despite all the hardship he has experienced, Connor maintained a remarkably positive attitude throughout his whole treatment.
“I mean, PMA is just having that positive mental attitude is first and foremost," David Shaw said. "I think that is something that we rallied behind and just tried to look for the silver linings in everything and even with his journey, there’s so many other people that aren’t as fortunate as he is with his diagnosis. And just kind of having that positive attitude, it pulls through in him and he’s great with it. It’s pretty contagious.”
Connor and his family know the importance of sharing his story, to raise awareness of Childhood Cancer and because they believe there is strength in the community.
"When he was going through his treatment, we didn’t know how much energy he would have, how that would impact his life, so to be out here and know that he’s going to run on the field with the team, that’s just a really special experience for him," Lindsey Shaw said. "And then my husband and I were talking about how it’s just so cool that this could be a core memory for him where he, it impacts the way that he lives his life later on too. To just be here with these kids, it’s amazing that they’re incorporating him in that.”