Charleston boy battling rare brain tumor

CHARLESTON, Ill. (WAND)- A seven year old Charleston boy and his family are raising awareness for pediatric cancer.

"Cancer is not rare, they say its rare- its not. There's nothing rare about this, I know several kids in the community that have been diagnosed with cancer," LeeAnn Dial told WAND News.

Her grandson, Whyatt Yarnell, was diagnosed with pineoblastoma in the summer of 2019. After treatment, he was in remission for a year. But Yarnell relapsed in March of 2021.

"We are trying to make the most out of every single day. If he wants to play a game, we play a game," Dial explained.

WAND News met up with Whyatt, full of life and energy as you would expect of any seven year old boy. But Dial said the past three years have been hard, watching her grandson go through rounds of chemotherapy and operations.

"He's truly the most incredible person I've ever met. I mean that sincerely," Dial said.

His bravery has inspired the community to rally around him.

This weekend they're invited to a bash that will include every holiday in a one day celebration.

"We want everyone to come out and be with him while he's feeling good, because right now he's doing well- and we don't know how long that will last," Dial explained.

Dial said their family has also taken on the mission of spreading awareness about pediatric cancer.

"There needs to be more awareness about this disease and there needs to be more support and funding. And to get Whyatt's story out there let's everybody know- they're not alone," Dial added.

Whyatt's bigger than life personality has made spreading his message easy. But the reality of his diagnosis weighs heavy on his family.

"In my mind I can hear a clock tick, tick, tick- and I can hear it ticking down. And I try not to listen to it I just spend every waking moment focused on him," Dial told WAND News.

With no one knowing exactly how much time he has left, Dial said she's focused on making the most out of each and every day.

"All we want right now is for him to be happy. I want whatever time he has to be filled with joy and happiness and love," Dial said.

The Make a Wish Foundation is sending Whyatt and his family to the Lake of the Ozarks next month.