A six-year-old boy has decided to give up birthday presents this year in honour of another boy who has cancer.
Mathieu Kochaniec made the decision to turn his birthday party into a fundraiser for things such as toys, money and gift cards after learning about nine-year-old Huntre Allard, who has brain cancer, during a school fundraiser.
All of the items Mathieu collected are being donated to the children of Windsor Regional Hospital’s pediatric ward.
“I think they’re going to feel happy,” Mathieu Kochaniec told CTV Windsor.
"I just didn't like that (Huntre) was having to do this, so I wanted to help out,” he explained.
Huntre has been in and out of hospital for more than a year since his diagnosis. A GoFundMe campaign for Huntre and his family has raised nearly $17,000 since being launched in November.
Mathieu’s decision has made his parents “extremely proud,” according to his mother, Tina Kochaniec.
“I was surprised by how much this has affected him, how many questions I’ve gotten and how he wants to just continue to help and donate,” she said.
“He does want to continue to do this for his other birthdays,” she added. “He says that he enjoys giving the gifts better than receiving them.”
