His parents told him his blood was sick when he was diagnosed with cancer. Rocco said he was sad, but he wanted to get better so he could donate his blood to help other people. This unselfish kindness and compassion are rare qualities in a five-year-old. But this is Rocco.
Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2021, Rocco is in active treatment at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Florida. His mom, Ida has noticed late effects from treatment of weakness, weight loss and vomiting but Rocco says he is strong. He assures his family he is going to be fine.
After all, Rocco’s heroes are Optimus Prime, the brave leader of the Transformers and his dad. Looking up to them gives this little boy the strength to be fearless.
But Rocco is still very much a typical kindergartener. He loves dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. Some of his favorites are playing soccer, Beyblades spinning top toys, pasta with meatballs and Starbucks runs with mom and dad. Rocco’s best friends are his siblings, RayRay and Chloe, who always try to keep his spirits up. The family loves going to water parks and theme parks together and spending time at home watching movies or playing games.
Your donation will help find cures and give survivors the long and healthy lives they deserve. Kids like Rocco. Can you help? Thank you!