It all started when loneliness was erased by a balloon.
Dani Porter was in the hospital when she noticed a little girl parading down the hall. In her hand were giant mylar balloons that lazily floated behind her. At that moment, she knew this girl was what her son needed.
“I just knew Mack would like her,” Porter recalled with TODAY. Little did she know that this was a beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Porter’s son Mack was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
And with the pandemic raging, it posed a different kind of difficulty for kids who are in treatment. The already lonely hospital walls felt much more isolating because of the lockdowns.
“The playroom and the family room were closed because of COVID,” Porter explained.
That’s when Porter approached the little girl’s mom, Traci Barrett. She asked her and her daughter Payson if they would be interested in taking a walk.
It was a connection Payson needed as well.
“Payson was so isolated. It was so hard to meet people because of the pandemic. She was asking for new toys every five minutes,” Barrett told TODAY Parents. “And then Mack came along.”
Payson was battling B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia at that time but their conditions didn’t stop them from bonding over their shared loved for Peppa Pig.
In return, Mack introduced Payson to the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also practically invited her to be part of his family by teaching her cool dance moves he learned from his older sisters.
More than just being friends, they also helped each other be better.
Soon enough, when their treatments ended, they had to face the bitter-sweet reality that getting better meant leaving each other eventually.
In return, Mack introduced Payson to the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also practically invited her to be part of his family by teaching her cool dance moves he learned from his older sisters.
More than just being friends, they also helped each other be better.
Soon enough, when their treatments ended, they had to face the bitter-sweet reality that getting better meant leaving each other eventually.
He chose the flowers himself, just like how he spent the morning picking out toys he thought Payson would love.
They spend the day playing, and they even got the chance to dance in the kitchen.
For their parents, it’s more than just a reunion.
Mack and Payson are so used to hospital visits and IV lines attached to their bodies. But their friendship meant reclaiming the juvenile life they were meant to enjoy.
“Traci and I were both teary watching them just be kids,” Porter said. “As soon as Mack got up from his nap he was like, ‘I need to find Payson and bring her a present.’”
Mack and Payson live 30 minutes away from each other and are currently living in Arizona. They also had a swimming trip just recently and they were also regularly sending each other funny videos.
We’re excited to see where their playdates will take them!
Source: ronproject.com
