VIDEO: Age 6 Boy in Hospital Fighting Brain Tumor

Brett and Alicia Raskey, from Surprise, Arizona, have basically left their home, as they haven’t been there on a consistent basis since the 14th of March. That was the awful day when Colin, their only 6 year old son, was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor. The family practically moved to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The two parents have taken time off from work so they could be by their child’s side through this terrible nightmare. Colin had to remain in the hospital after a risky surgery he had mid-March and even though he’s been going through pretty hard times and rough treatments lately, he somehow found a way to stay positive and hopeful.

“He’s doing very well, and he knows in his heart he’s going to get a 100 percent better,” said the little boy’s grandfather, Mark Toppo. “And we have to be there for him to know that, too.”
The boy hasn’t been alone for one second since his diagnose. He has been surrounded by love and people had been attending to his every need – from his family to the medical team and staff.
The thing is, little Colin is not the only one this disease has taken a toll on. His parents have been just as affected as he has and someone needed to take care of them, too. Their neighbor and friend, Davis Margau, decided to be that someone. The first thing he did was create a GoFundMe account to help supplement the family’s income. He posted the following message on the page: “I want to reduce the financial impact this will have on them as a family, so that Brett and Alicia can be present and available with Colin during his recovery. The last thing in the world this young family should have to worry about is making ends meet while their son is going through this.” He’s already raised more than $15,000, the goal being $25,000.

As amazing as that was, David knew that the family didn’t just need financial support. They also needed a little joy, something to lift up their spirit a bit, so he put together a surprise. 40 residents from the community rallied together to assist with the project. Everybody knew that the Raskeys loved hosting get-togethers, entertaining people and with that in mind, they decided to build a BBQ pit next to their pool area. “We know when they came home, this would be special for them,” Margau said. David Bell, president of Avant-Edge Landscaping, also helped with the project. “We had so many people show up … So that was the biggest struggle, to make sure everyone know what they were doing and everything laid out,” he said.

When Brett and Alicia came home for a quick break from the hospital, people were waiting for them outside, in the back. Their gesture left Alicia in tears. “The neighbors can be neighbors, but when they can be friends and life-long friends it’s a whole different story. That’s what we lucked out with in moving here,” Brett said.

Bell also stated that his team was very fortunate to experience such a beautiful moment and be part of such a kind gesture. “We are glad they are happy,” he wrote. “It was an honor to be part of such a great project!

The story was reported by KSAZ-TV and shared on the station’s Facebook page.