Fort Myers father and son share moment of victory after both were diagnosed with cancer

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

When Raynel Lugo looks at his son, Aaron, he sees all that they share.

"Even at 5 years old, you can see he's a passionate guy and loves his family, too," said Raynel.

The week Aaron was born, Raynel received his greatest gift. Five days later, he faced what he thought was his greatest fear.

"I'm home celebrating Aaron's birth, and they call me and said, 'Hey, you have cancer.' It was lymphoma. It was stage four. It was pretty aggressive," said Raynel.

Two years later, Raynel went into remission. That's when he'd face his real greatest fear.

"We went to the emergency room, they ran some tests, and the doctor came up to us and said, 'Your son has leukemia,'" said Raynel. "It was like my entire world went upside down."

At just 2 years old, Aaron faced dozens of doctor's visits, 30 months of chemo, and three years of trying to keep his spirits high.

"I'm a big man, so I know how to handle stuff. The little ones. They don't know what pain is. They don't know the reason for getting blood work. They don't know the reason why they're so tired. But he's a fighter. He's a fighter," said Raynel.

Aaron's last day of chemo was this January.

Today, at Golisano Children's Hospital, where Raynel and Aaron have already shared so many moments, they share one more moment of victory, when they ring the bell together.

"It is a dream come true," said Raynel.

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