'I was just so happy': Nine-year-old Nova Scotia boy reflects on beating cancer

9-year-old boy rings cancer’s bell at IWK After three years of chemotherapy, nine-year-old Jeric Mullins rang the bell at the IWK to signify a clean bill of health.

HALIFAX — Nine-year-old Jeric Mullins is your typical kid -- he loves fast cars, video games, and TikTok.

But his past three years have been anything but average.

In 2017, Jeric was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of blood cancer.

"Our three-and-a-half-year journey with the IWK began there," says his mother Barb Mullins, referring to the IWK Health Centre, a children's hospital in Halifax.

In that time, Jeric has had chemotherapy, blood transfusions and 20 spinal taps.

“When I get chemotherapy sometimes, I’m just tired out,” says Jeric. “I’m usually just laying down in my room playing games or watching TikTok.”

"My son Jeric is the most fun-loving thoughtful person you could ever imagine," says Barb. "He loves video games just like any other kid."

She says cancer has been hard on them.

"It just takes a lot of childhood away," she says. "For somebody that’s only six years old when he was diagnosed."

Up until recently, when he rang the bell.

RINGING THE BELL

At the IWK, the bell represents the end of a successful cancer treatment.

Due to COVID-19, it’s been temporarily moved outside. As Jeric rang the bell on Nov. 15, a crowd gathered and cheered.

Nine-year-old Jeric Mullins of Lower Sackville, N.S., rings the IWK bell, marking his victory against cancer. (Photo: Barb Mullins)

"I was just so happy," says Jeric. "Because I’ve been fighting for like three years. It just feels like in the blink of an eye, you’re done."

His mother says she appreciates what the IWK provided – a lot of which was made possible through donors to the IWK Foundation.

"Anything that people do for the IWK is just amazing," she says. "And we’ve seen the results – time after time after time."

As for Jeric’s thoughts on his journey, he only had this to say:

"It’s just very nice to have someone to make you feel better and be there."