GALESBURG, Illinois-- After two and a half years of fighting, Benton Davis is cancer free.
Benton is a kindergartner at King Elementary School in Galesburg. On Sunday night, he completed his final chemotherapy treatment to fight his Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It took countless hospital visits and more than 120 treatments and the support of his community to get to where he is now.
On Monday his classmates surprised him with a ride on a fire engine followed by a parade through the halls of his school ending with a school wide pep rally.
Members of the Galesburg football team and cheer squad came to celebrate. And leaders with St. Jude Children's Hospital spoke about Benton's fight as well.
Benton's family says they now want to move on, and let Benton be a kid again.
"He's had a smile on his face for two and a half years which has helped us get through it, and he got through it," says Marcy Davis, Benton's mom.
"When you begin to be sick, you don't know what your future's going to hold, and he's a healthy boy today, and that's pretty darn amazing," says Joan Hoschek, Benton's principal.
Every Friday, Benton used to have to leave his classmates early to receive his chemotherapy treatments, but now he gets to stay in school with his friends.
"When he was really sick, his hair fell off, then he grew it back. I'm really happy Benton's back because when he was gone, I missed him," says Benton's classmate.
Benton received his treatment through St. Jude Children's Hospital.
