An adorable video showing a father and son dancing together to celebrate the youngster being 11 months cancer-free has gone viral.
Two-year-old Kristian Thomas, who has Down’s syndrome, was diagnosed with leukemia in June 2018 after which he underwent five rounds of chemotherapy.
His devoted father, Kenny, was determined to entertain his son throughout the ordeal so while Kristian was in hospital his dad would dance for him, with the little boy bobbing and clapping along.
Check out their latest video here:
The toddler was declared cancer-free in November 2018 and this month the family celebrated 11 months of good health by dancing together to a song by rapper Lil Mama.
Kenny, a choreographer and dance studio owner, took to Instagram to share his and Kristian’s creation, writing:
Father Son chemistry…11 Months Cancer Free!! If we can do it you can do it!! Live Free!! Drop a [heart emoji] for Father Son Vibes!!!
The heartwarming video has since racked up 20,000 views on Kenny’s account, where he goes by ‘The Dancing Dad’. It has been shared across the internet and thousands of people have thanked the father for brightening their day with the adorable footage.
Kenny told UNILAD he and his son regularly create videos ‘for those that just need positivity in their life’.
He explained:
We know first hand how it can be dealing with the struggles of childhood cancer. The last thing anyone wants to lose is their faith and happiness.
Kenny and Kristian first went viral last year, when the dad danced to Ciara’s Level Up after the toddler recovered from his first round of chemotherapy.
Speaking to Good Morning America at the time, the dance teacher said music is ‘therapeutic’ for Kristian, ABC News reports.
He explained:
He’s always calm when music is on and when someone is dancing. He’s always in the studio with me and is always seeing me dance. He is a bundle of joy and ball of fire who is truly inspiring.
Kenny and his wife, Josilyne, learned their son had a 75 per cent chance of being born with Down’s syndrome during a hospital visit when Josilyne was pregnant in 2016.
Down’s syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs when a person is born with an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21.
Kristian was the couple’s fourth child, and after he was born he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder often found in children with Down’s syndrome.
The newborn’s blood platelet count was low as a result of the blood disorder, and doctors warned this could be a sign Kristian could eventually develop leukemia.
Speaking to Pix 11, as per the MailOnline, the dad explained why he decided to start dancing for his son, saying:
I’ve been doing these videos and people have been loving them since the first one that I did.
I figure why… be the dad that’s grieving and complaining about his son being in the hospital and his family being in the hospital all day?
Why don’t I change things up a little bit and let’s show people how to be positive in this situation?
Kenny told UNILAD he now shares motivational speaking videos throughout the week and continues to provide more positive content for those ‘fighting daily life struggles in the hope they are inspired and motivated to move forward and make a success out of their life’.
The dad’s approach to the tough situation is certainly inspirational; hopefully the cancer-free celebration videos will continue for a long time to come!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.