Boy with stage four cancer rings bell after chemo treatments as honorary police officer

Boy with stage four cancer rings bell after chemo treatments as honorary police officer Boy with stage four cancer rings bell after chemo tr...

Boy with stage four cancer rings bell after chemo treatments as honorary police officer

Boy with stage four cancer rings bell after chemo treatments as honorary police officer

A 4-year-old honorary Colorado Springs police officer rang a bell following his last chemotherapy treatment, police said Sunday.

Joshua Salmoiraghi, who has been battling advanced cancer, ran through a line of cheering hospital staffers and loved ones to ring a bell signifying the end of a long journey. Several members of the Colorado Springs Police Department were also there. He wore a Captain America T-shirt for the occasion.

Hospital bells like the one Joshua rang in Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora typically indicate a patient is cancer-free.

But, Joshua's cancer battle isn't over. He will undergo radiation therapy on his chest in the coming weeks.

Last year on Father's Day weekend, Joshua was diagnosed with stage IV kidney canc er (Wilm's Tumor) at age three. The tumor spread to his abdomen lymph nodes and his lungs. Doctors removed the tumor and his left kidney, and Joshua underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy to his abdomen. In December he was in remission, but in mid-January a tumor was discovered in left lung.

Joshua’s father is a disabled veteran and pastor, while his mother is a major in the United States Air Force stationed at Peterson Air Force Base. Joshua has two older brothers.

Lt. Howard Black told USA TODAY Joshua has a "vivacious" personality, and the entire Colorado Springs community "has really adopted him."

Black said the officers are in contact with Joshua's family at least weekly.

In his April non-traditional police oath, Joshua promised to obey his parents, be kind to others and share his toys with his brothers.

"I will be brave," Joshua said. "I will always remember that I am loved by many and I am now a member of the Colorado Springs Police Department."

Janet Oravetz of KUSA-TV, Denver, contributed to this report. Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2vZPEqOSource: Google News US Health | Netizen 24 United States