“We spend 5 to 6 hours each day at the hospital. There’s a lot of waiting and being in the car or on the train. We can’t plan our lives too far ahead because there isn’t a lot of consistency.”

Since his diagnosis at the age of 6 ½ months, Johnny has faced two relapses. HIs extensive treatment has included 42 rounds of chemotherapy, and 40 rounds of radiation. He has spent almost his entire life fighting cancer.

This experience has left emotional scars as well as physical ones. Colleen tells us Johnny doesn’t talk much, except for when his favorite show, Daniel Tiger, is on television. The bright PBS program’s main characters are zoo animals that teach kids the alphabet. Johnny likes to repeat after them, mouthing along with the words. As he has gotten stronger, more and more of his personality has been able to bloom. On his days off, Johnny’s favorite hobbies include playing with his older sister, and climbing up furniture and jumping off of it.

On Instagram, the hashtag #johnnystrong acts as both a prayer and a rallying cry. Johnny’s mother Colleen started it as a way to celebrate Johnny’s life through the documentation of his battle against cancer. For the past eight months, Compass to Care has helped the Morris family with their commute to New Jersey. Thanks to the continued help and support of donors to Compass to Care, we have been able to help keep Johnny strong, and continue the fight.