A Child’s Fight Against Darkness: Szymon’s Journey After Retinoblastoma
No parent ever imagines standing in a hospital corridor, waiting for doctors to confirm a word so terrifying it seems impossible to say aloud. For Szymon’s family, that word was
The tumor was large, leaving no room for false hope. From that moment, their lives became a blur of treatments: rounds of chemotherapy, countless eye injections, consultations, and the unrelenting rhythm of appointments. Every visit carried with it two weights—the fragile thread of hope and the crushing fear of what the doctors might say next.
His parents clung to the belief that his sight could be saved. They endured the long nights, the tears, the sterile walls of hospital rooms, all for the chance that one day, Szymon would look at them with healthy eyes. But the treatments failed. The tumor would not yield. And so, his parents were faced with a decision no mother or father should ever have to make: to save their child’s life, they would have to agree to the removal of his eye.
The day of the surgery broke their hearts into pieces. “We looked at our son,” his parents recall, “and we asked fate: why him? Why must such a tiny child endure such unimaginable pain?” No answer ever came, only silence. Yet in that silence, they had to summon courage.
Today, Szymon is learning to live again. He is only a child, but already he knows what it means to adapt, to rebuild, and to face a reality that is so different from the one his parents once dreamed for him. He is recovering physically, but the emotional journey—for him and his family—remains steep.
His parents now dream of something beautiful for him: a custom prosthetic eye, designed with care, that would allow him to feel whole again. Not just for appearance’s sake, but for his confidence, his joy, and his right to live like any other child. With such a prosthesis, Szymon could look in the mirror and see not what he has lost, but what he still has: resilience, dignity, and hope.
Alongside this dream comes the reality of constant medical care. Medications and treatments are still essential for his safe recovery, as retinoblastoma is a disease that leaves no family without scars of fear. Rehabilitation is ongoing, and the financial strain is enormous.
And then, there is Dominik—Szymon’s five-year-old brother. At preschool, he learns songs and plays with friends, but at home, he feels the weight of something he cannot yet understand. His brother’s illness has reshaped his world, too. Though he lacks the words, he feels the fear, the absence, the stress his parents carry. His parents do everything they can to shield both of their children, to create a home where love is stronger than worry. But behind the closed doors, reality looms: the finances are stretched beyond breaking.
“We are barely scraping by,” the family admits. “We want to be the shield, the safe place for both of our sons. But we cannot do it alone.”
This is why they are reaching out. They are asking for help—not because they want to, but because they must. Every donation, no matter how small, contributes directly to giving Szymon the medication, the rehabilitation, and the prosthetic eye he needs. Every kind word reminds them that they are not alone in this battle.
Szymon’s story is not just one of illness. It is also one of love. His parents have chosen to fight every day for his future, even when they feel exhausted, even when their own strength falters. It is a story of two brothers whose bond remains unbreakable, and of a family who, despite grief and hardship, refuses to let despair win.
This is a plea for more than money—it is a plea for compassion. For people to see beyond the medical terms and into the eyes of a child who deserves to laugh, to grow, and to live without being defined by pain.
Szymon may have lost an eye, but his spirit is still bright. His life is still full of possibility. And with the right support, he can step forward with confidence into a future his parents once feared he might never have.
Every contribution is a brick in the foundation of that future. Every act of kindness is a reminder that humanity is strongest when it comes together for a child in need.
Because no child should have to endure what Szymon has endured. And no family should ever have to fight this battle alone.
A Boy, A Bullet, and the Friend Who Saved Him
The morning began with quiet reverence inside the stained-glass walls of Annunciation Catholic Church. For ten-year-old Weston Halsne, it should have been just another Sunday—a time of peace, prayer, and family. Instead, it became a scene of terror that no child should ever endure.
When the gunfire erupted, Weston was just two seats away from the brilliant windows. Chaos filled the sacred space. And in that instant, when fear silenced everything else, something remarkable happened: his friend Victor threw himself over Weston, using his own body as a shield.
Weston later spoke with the simple honesty only a child can carry: “My friend saved me… I was super scared for him. I hope you’re OK and I’m praying for you.”
Doctors would later reveal just how close death had come. A bullet fragment was found lodged in Weston’s neck, dangerously close to a major artery. The discovery meant surgery, recovery, and the long shadow of uncertainty that no child should have to face. Yet through it all, Weston’s courage shines.
In the moments after the shooting, amid the sirens and confusion, Weston ran into his mother’s arms. He remembers that moment clearly: “I was super happy, because I was scared that I wasn’t going to see her.” For a boy whose innocence was shattered by violence, that embrace became proof that love had survived the chaos.
Now, Weston begins the hard road of healing. The surgery ahead is only one part of his journey. There are wounds that doctors cannot see—the fear, the memories, the weight of knowing how close he came to being lost. But he is not alone. His family surrounds him. His community rallies for him. And strangers everywhere are lifting him up in prayer.
What lingers most is not the violence, but the bond of friendship that shone in the darkest moment. Victor’s selfless act reminds us that even in tragedy, humanity’s greatest strength—sacrifice born of love—can still rise above fear.
Weston is more than a victim of a horrific shooting. He is a survivor. A boy who now carries scars of both pain and courage. His story is one of fragility and resilience, of friendship and faith, and of a child’s hope that tomorrow will be brighter than the nightmare of yesterday.
🙏 Let’s stand with Weston. Let’s stand with Victor. And let’s stand with all the families whose lives were forever changed by that day. Leave your words of encouragement, your prayers, and your messages of hope for this brave 10-year-old boy.
